Thin Red Line
by Darthanne
Summary: The shuttle transporting Relena, Quatre and Trowa to a political conference is hijacked in an endeavour to reveal the identity, and exact revenge, on a specific Gundam pilot. ( 3x4, 1xR, 2x5 )
1. Chapter One

Thin Red Line (1/?)

By Anne Olsen

Rating : This fic has been rated in accordance with the approved TTFF rating system. 

OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) – PG – Action, drama, angst, romance. 

Author's notes: This story is part of the 'Triunity' canon based arc, which is a joint project with my partner in crime, Sakura Rose. For further information please visit the series archive at 

The writing soundtrack for TRL is 'Thin Red Line' by Glass Tiger. 

Pairings: 3x4, 1xR, 2x5 

Summary: The shuttle transporting Relena, Quatre and Trowa to a political conference is hijacked in an endeavour to reveal the identity, and exact revenge, on a specific Gundam pilot. But it's five years after the Eve Wars, and people change. Or did they always have a predilection for attempting stupidly heroic things in the name of love? 

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the boys in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any broken bones or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction. 

Thanks to: Sakura for many hours of plottage conversations on AIM, beta reading, the summary and the soundtrack. Also to Bast for beta reading, and encouraging the … evil, and Anon for beta reading and fic stalking. 

Comments to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz 

=============================================================

Chapter One

~ AC 200 ~

The shuttle was reminiscent of a morgue; the hum of engines echoed through the stillness as its passengers lay pale and unmoving. 

William Davis sighed. Dropping to his knees, he rolled up the right shirtsleeve of the man sprawled on the floor of the shuttle. Finding a suitable vein he flicked the syringe before quickly injecting the downed bodyguard with a powerful sedative. 

The information given by his employer strongly suggested that Trowa Barton may have been a Gundam pilot, hence the order to ensure he was kept well sedated until they reached their destination. It was interesting that Barton had managed to get from his seat to the aisle of the shuttle before succumbing to the effects of the sleeping gas; this only served to fuel Nichol's suggestion that the young man had been much more than he'd claimed to be. Lady Une may have refused to heed Nichol's warnings during the war, but others had taken note and stored the information for later use. 

Handcuffing Barton's arms behind him, Davis then secured his legs with a second set of cuffs. Although his regaining consciousness after the combined dose of sleeping gas and injected sedative was highly unlikely, Davis didn't intend to take any chances, especially considering the careful planning which had gone into this operation. 

"The shuttle is secure, sir," his second in command confirmed. "We should be at our destination in approximately one hour." Smythe gestured towards the shuttle's other passengers, Quatre Raberba Winner and Relena Darlian-Peacecraft, his lips turning up into a thin smile when he noticed Winner's arm around her shoulder, and the way she leaned into him in sleep. 

Davis frowned. There had been rumours that Quatre Winner had married a year ago, but no one had been able to discover any information regarding his bride. Winner's circle of friends and acquaintances didn't appear to have grown, which suggested that if he had wedded it would have been within that group. Hell, the guy spent more time in the company of his bodyguard than anyone else – his wife would have to be a very understanding woman. _And _she'd have to be willing to take second place to his twin positions as head of Winner Enterprises and one of the driving forces behind the upcoming peace talks. The young lady presently asleep on his shoulder could fit all those criteria rather well, especially considering she was the other delegate the success of those talks depended upon. 

"Very good, Smythe," Davis answered. 

"Do you wish me to restrain them as well, sir?" Smythe asked, glancing at his watch. 

"No, that shouldn't be necessary," Davis told him. "They don't pose the same threat as Barton." He laughed before adding the obvious, "and I very much doubt Mr Winner has the recovery time of a Gundam pilot." Rolling his eyes, Davis couldn't help but feel some degree of sympathy towards the young man. Representative Darlian-Peacecraft had at least been involved in the war to some degree, even to the extent that she'd come into close contact with the Gundam pilots; the information she possessed on that particular subject was also a big factor as to why she'd been targeted. But, in comparison, Winner had led a sheltered life as the pampered only son of one of richest families in the colonies, and Davis doubted he was prepared to handle what was to come, given his pacifist background. Winner's ability as a skilled peace talk negotiator wasn't going to deter his employer's determination to see this scenario through to the end, whatever that end might entail. No, his role in this was simply that of a hostage and bargaining chip, but it could be interesting to see how far Barton would go to protect the man he had been hired to guard. According to research a friendship had grown between the two but would that friendship, and loyalty to an employer, rate higher than giving up the identity of a specific Gundam pilot? 

The low groan took Davis by surprise, and he glanced down again at Barton who lay unmoving where he'd been secured to the base of one of the seats. 

"He's still out," Smythe confirmed, drawing his weapon. 

"I'll check Winner," Davis told him, moving closer to the blond. Winner's eyes opened momentarily before he slipped back into a state of semi-unconsciousness. "More sedative. Now!" 

"There's no way in hell he should be waking up," Smythe muttered, after handing over the syringe. 

Winner groaned again and re opened his eyes. "What the?" He glanced between the two men, then struggled to his feet as he noticed the still figure on the floor. "Trowa!" 

Ordering Smythe to restrain their captive, Davis quickly emptied the contents of the syringe into Winner's arm. "Your bodyguard is merely drugged, Mr Winner," he explained. "And it would be in your best interests to stop struggling and let the sedative take effect." 

"And Relena?" The sharpness in Winner's tone didn't mesh with Davis' earlier conceptions of the young man. The blond pulled away from his captor to check on the welfare of the girl, giving them both a glare as Smythe pulled his hands behind his back, cuffed him none too gently and forced him to return to his seat. 

"If you've…harmed…" The sedative entered Winner's bloodstream and his voice began to slur. "I'll…k…" His head fell forward as he lost the battle to stay awake. 

"That was interesting," Davis remarked. He bent to examine the girl, but she didn't appear to be waking up. 

"Do you want me to give her a dose too?" Smythe asked.

"Just restrain her for now," Davis replied. "We have limited supplies and I'd prefer to use them only if we need to." He cursed under his breath. "Damn gas must have been faulty. I knew those suppliers weren't to be trusted."

"Unless Winner just has an unusually high tolerance for the stuff," Smythe pointed out. "It's not unheard of."

"True," Davis conceded. "Either that or we've got ourselves two Gundam pilots for the price of one." He laughed, shaking his head. "Pacifist Winner's son piloting a Gundam during the war? No, I think you must be right, Duncan. Poor sod's just unlucky enough to have a higher tolerance than normal…"

******

Duo brushed his lips against Wufei's, one finger tracing the outline of his lover's cheek. A solitary ray of sunlight sneaked through a hole in the curtain, illuminating them both in the half darkness of the room. With deliberate slowness, Duo allowed his finger to continue downwards, pausing to pay special attention to the taut circle of one nipple before following that action by pulling it gently through his teeth. "Sure you don't want to stay home today?" he teased. "I'm sure I could make it very worthwhile."

A moan escaping his lips, Wufei caught Duo's free hand with one of his own and rolled them both over so that he was on top. "Is that a promise or a threat?" he asked, the huskiness of his voice revealing just how much the suggestion appealed.

"Depends," Duo said, halting his administrations momentarily. "Of course there's also the problem of convincing Une that we've both come down with some horribly fast acting and very contagious disease." The office pool for 'best excuses to counter Une's policy of come to work unless you're in a pine box' was running at an all time high at present, and Duo had very definite ideas regarding what he and Wufei could do with that money. Besides it would be criminal not to attempt to better that piss poor excuse Agent Abrahams had come up with the previous week. 

"I don't see that being a problem," Wufei told him. "But of course if I do the research to find the disease, it's only fair that you be the one to call in sick."

"Hmmm?" Duo's reply was lost as Wufei's mouth began an exploration of his throat, nipping and sucking at the sensitive area at his breastbone. They were definitely going to be late for work today, even if they didn't…

"Oh shit," he exclaimed as the staccato rings of the vidphone brought him back to reality. "Want to get that, Fei?"

"Want to explain what I'm doing in your bed, Duo?" Wufei countered, running a gentle hand through Duo's hair. Although the two had been living together for several months, only their closest friends knew their living arrangements were more than platonic. It had taken them long enough to admit their growing feelings for each other, only doing so at Trowa and Quatre's wedding a year ago and, as they were still adjusting to life together, both felt the time wasn't right to make their relationship public knowledge just yet. 

"Yeah, okay, I'll answer it," Duo muttered under his breath, annoyed that the precious few minutes they had left before work had been rudely interrupted. "Maxwell," he growled at the phone, settling himself on the seat in front of it and angling the screen so that the caller wouldn't see Wufei.

"The shuttle is missing," Heero stated, coming straight to the point without even going through the motions of a 'good morning'. 

"Shuttle?" echoed Duo. He frowned and decided to skip the social niceties as he noticed Heero's concern. To the average man in the street, there wasn't an obvious difference between Heero's normal tone and this, but Duo knew better. He'd known the guy for five years and fought a war alongside him – Heero was worried. Correction, Heero was shitting himself. "Define missing," Duo continued, switching to business mode. "How overdue is it?" 

"An hour," Heero confirmed. "If they'd run into any unexpected trouble Quatre would have radioed ahead. You know what a stickler he is for timetables." 

Duo nodded, aware of Wufei moving around behind him to grab clothing and make himself presentable. "When was the last you heard from them?"

"I spoke to Relena shortly after they left Earth's atmosphere," Heero said, "and they were running to time then." He paused. "Apparently communication with the shuttle was lost about half an hour after that, about the same time they disappeared off the radar screen."

"Who was piloting?" Wufei asked the question as he leant over Duo's shoulder, one hand resting on the small of his lover's back, to get a better view of the vid screen. 

"This wasn't a Winner shuttle," Heero told them. "They'd been offered transport by the conference and decided to take the opportunity to go over some last minute strategies."

"Anyone else on the flight?" Duo asked. 

"I've done a thorough background check on both the pilot and co-pilot, as did Trowa before they left." Heero frowned. "The longer they're missing the less I like this scenario. If whoever is responsible has taken out two Gundam pilots, they're very organised and must be working to an agenda of some kind."

It made sense. If these guys had managed to get past both Heero and Trowa's security measures, they were good. Too damn good. "Do you think it's Relena and Quatre they're after or...?" Duo's voice trailed off. No, with Une's help, they'd all covered their tracks extremely well. No one knew the identities of the Gundam pilots.

"Their presence is essential to the success of the peace talks," Heero said, his expression grim. "I…suspect once the talks are over they will be released." At the slight hesitation Wufei and Duo exchanged worried glances. Heero Yuy didn't hesitate in these situations; it wasn't part of the strict mission parameters he adhered to. What the hell were they missing?

"She'll be fine, Heero," Duo attempted to sound more reassuring than he felt. "And so will Quatre and Trowa…Oh shit." Another thought struck him. 

"If the shuttle hijacking is in relation to the peace talks, Trowa is of no use to them." Wufei put Duo's thoughts into words. "The only reason he was on that flight was because of his role as Quatre's head of security."

"And because he doesn't trust anyone but himself with the safety of his husband," Duo's voice dropped to a whisper. 

"He's right," Heero said, his tone so low that Duo barely heard him. "If I'd done the same this wouldn't have happened. I should have piloted that shuttle." 

"You don't know that." Wufei furrowed his brows together in concentration before he spoke again to fill the sudden silence between them. "Duo and I will meet you on L1 as soon as we're able to secure a Preventer shuttle. The disappearance of the peace talks' two key delegates certainly comes under the organisations jurisdiction, and I doubt it will take much to persuade Une that we are the agents best suited for the investigation."

"Thank you," Heero reached over to kill the transmission, then paused. "You might like to dress first, Duo. It's chilly on L1 this time of year. Yuy out."

"Huh?" Duo glanced down after the screen went blank and blushed. "Bastard," he muttered. In his haste to angle the screen away from Wufei, he'd completely forgotten about his own state of undress. 

"Heero has a point," Wufei deadpanned, taking a step back and giving him the once over. "Personally I have no problem with the present view but I'm not prepared to share it with either Une or the occupants of L1." He bent over to pick up the trousers Duo had dropped on the floor the night before. 

"You just don't want me to freeze my ass off," Duo blew his lover a raspberry, pausing to admire the view in front of him. Catching the trousers as Wufei threw them at him, his tone turned serious as he sat on the end of the bed and began to dress. "There's something up with Heero. This isn't like him at all." 

"I agree," Wufei brushed his lips across the top of Duo's head as he came to sit beside him. "When we reach L1, we'll talk to him."

Duo nodded, his mind still digesting the information they'd been given. "They'll be okay. They have to be." He laughed, but there was no humour in it. "Gundam pilots go down fighting and we look after our own. If some asshole has hurt them, they won't live to regret it. No one threatens our family, Fei, no one."

******

"Trowa?" The voice grew insistent and Trowa gingerly opened one eye to see if the room had stopped spinning. It hadn't so he closed it again. What the hell had he been drinking last night? 

"Trowa?" It was a female voice. 

"Go away, Cathy," he muttered. "My head hurts." Trowa attempted to wriggle closer to Quatre; if he had to get out of bed to deal with this, he couldn't see why his husband shouldn't as well. 

What the? Trowa opened his eyes again, blinking rapidly to clear his vision as he found his movements hindered by something hard around his wrists and ankles. No, the voice wasn't Cathy's, it was…Trowa struggled to remember through the fog. "Relena?" 

"Trowa?" She asked again. "Are you all right?" 

Ignoring the thump thump in his head and the churning of his stomach, Trowa searched for the source of the voice. The floor and walls of the unfamiliar surroundings were a drab grey concrete, the only light source in the unfurnished room a barred window above a single heavy wooden door. Relena was sitting on the floor, hands folded in her lap, a heavy metal band fastened around her wrist to a chain which was secured to the wall behind her. 

To her right, unconscious and propped up in a sitting position, his hands shackled above him to a metal circle fixed into the wall, was Quatre. 

"Quatre?" The aura of perspiration surrounding his lover's head reflected eerily against the dim light of the room, leaving Trowa with a feeling of dread as he noticed Quatre wasn't moving. 

"Cat?" Trowa's voice rose in pitch as he fought to keep his rising panic under control. _I can't feel him._ _Why can't I feel him?_ He closed his eyes, searching desperately for a sense of that familiar touch against his consciousness, but there was nothing. The empathic connection they'd shared since just before the end of the war was empty, dark, dead. After several minutes he forced himself to reopen his eyes, but he couldn't rid himself of the sense of complete and utter loss. 

"I think he's been drugged," Relena told him, her concern reflected in both her voice and facial expression. "I heard them talking when they bought us here." His gaze lingered on Quatre before he forced himself to turn away and concentrate on what Relena was saying. "He'll be okay," Relena gave him a brave smile. "You haven't been awake for long either, remember. I'm guessing they gave the two of you something stronger than what they gave me. Obviously they don't consider me as much of a threat, but I'm sure they have no idea who…"

"No," Trowa shook his head in warning. "The room could contain listening devices. Until we know what they want, be careful what you say." Could the drugs be interfering with Quatre's ability and Trowa's awareness of him? 

Why would they user a stronger drug on himself and Quatre and not Relena? Quatre's family were pacifists, if whoever had snatched them had done so because of the peace conference why would they consider him to be a threat? Trowa could understand them not taking any chances with himself. After all he _was_ Quatre's personal bodyguard, and because of that role it would be presumed he was able to handle himself in order to carry out his job. However very few people were aware of just how capable Quatre was; their role during the war as Gundam pilots had been well concealed from all but a select few. Trowa twisted his head upward, confirming his suspicions that while Relena's restraint was at waist level, his was similar to Quatre's; designed to either give the option of standing or sitting with hands above his head as he was now.

"Do you have any idea where here is?" The more information they could gather, the better chance they had of escaping once Quatre woke. Trowa tested his restraints again before turning back to Relena. In time he could free himself, but it would pay to ascertain the number of guards and the reason they'd been brought here first. He and Quatre could handle themselves in unarmed combat but there was no guarantee of victory against overwhelming odds. They'd also have to wait until the effects of whatever they'd been given had worn off and considering Quatre's present condition, that was going to take some time. 

Relena shook her head. There was fear in her eyes but she hid it well. "I don't know if we're even on Earth. The last thing I remember is Quatre reassuring me that everything would be okay after you went to talk to the pilot." 

He remembered Quatre shaking Relena when she'd passed out, but events were fairly sketchy after that. If only he'd taken more notice of Quatre's growing unease sooner. Whoever had taken control of the shuttle had been efficient; he and Quatre had taken action as soon as the telltale hiss of gas had begun to fill the cabin. Leaving Quatre to protect Relena, Trowa had headed for the cockpit, gun in hand, but whatever he'd been hit with had taken effect too quickly. Sensing Quatre's own losing battle to stay awake, he hadn't even made it as far as the end of the aisle before his weapon had fallen from senseless fingers as he too was forced to surrender to the blackness. 

The room spun again, and the contents of Trowa's stomach did a sickening dance before settling. "How are you feeling, Relena?" he asked, with the realisation that their friend would also be feeling the after effects of the sleeping gas. Hopefully with not having had the same dosage the effects might be less, but her reaction still wouldn't be on par with that of a Gundam pilot. He and Quatre might not have had their physiology tampered with the same way Heero had but their tolerance levels were still a lot higher than what would be deemed normal. 

"Nauseous and I need to use the bathroom." Relena turned her head towards the wall and dry retched. "Okay, now I don't feel quite as nauseous but I'm sure it's not going to last for long." She sighed. "Maybe it's a good thing Heero's not here."

"Good for Heero or good for whoever's behind this?" Trowa commented dryly. He knew what he'd like to do to the person responsible for Quatre's present state. Heero's reaction if he could see Relena in chains and suffering from the effects of post sedation would be no different.

"Both," Relena replied. She pulled on her restraint and attempted to edge closer to Quatre, but without any luck. "Damn," she cursed.

There was a slight brush of something against his consciousness, then it was gone. Could Quatre be waking up? If the connection between them was re-opening because the drugs were wearing off, it was weak, and no where near the strength it usually was at this physical distance. Trowa wished he were closer to his lover. Quatre would be feeling like shit, and Trowa wouldn't be able to offer the support he needed; wouldn't be able to hold him close to reassure him they were both okay. 

Confusion. Momentarily panic. Concern. The emotions chased each other through the suddenly open empathic link before Quatre groaned and lifted his head, his slightly out of focus gaze searching the room frantically. Finding Trowa, he visibly relaxed and managed a shaky smile. "Hey," he said. 

"Hey," Trowa replied. "How are you feeling?"

"As though I've been hit by a squad of mobile dolls without my…" Quatre's voice trailed off and he glanced upwards to examine his restraints before pulling at them half-heartedly. "You?" His eyes moved slowly to the left, then repeated; Trowa recognised the code signal querying the presence of listening devices and he nodded before giving the answering response for 'unsure - caution advised.'

"I have one hell of a hangover." Trowa strained his eyes in an attempt to examine Quatre in the dim light. His lover was still pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes, but he seemed to be growing more aware with each passing moment. 

"Hangover sounds right," Quatre moved his head from side to side gingerly, then winced. "The last time I felt like this was when we went out with the guys before…I swear I have no idea how Duo holds his alcohol." The night of their bachelor party was one Trowa knew he'd never forget – at least the part of it he could still remember with any degree of clarity. It hadn't been a traditional party by any means, but then that was more than appropriate as their relationship, according to most of Quatre's family, wasn't. It had been their idea to keep their marriage out of the press and avoid any unnecessary scandal, but he knew Quatre was becoming less and less enamoured with the idea as time passed. After this peace conference they were going to announce their relationship publicly and begin wearing their wedding bands where they could be seen, instead of on matching chains around their necks. 

"The effects of the gas alone aren't particularly nice, I wouldn't have wanted to get a dose of whatever they gave you on top of it." 

When Quatre turned his head to answer Relena, Trowa heard a sharp intake of breath. "Quatre," he asked, "are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Quatre reassured him, "though I suspect it's going to take a while before the room stops spinning." He smiled ruefully. "I made the mistake of coming around too soon and they injected me with some kind of sedative before the effects of the gas had totally worn off." His voice grew quiet. "I saw you on the floor and…" Quatre swallowed and pulled himself together, obviously remembering their conversation could be overheard. It wouldn't pay to give away any information that could give their captors an advantage over them, and that included learning about his and Trowa's relationship so it could be used against them. 

"I'm just relieved both of you are okay," Relena said, smoothing over his momentary lapse. "I was thinking the worst watching you hang from those chains, seemingly dead to the world," she shuddered. 

"I haven't even asked you how you're feeling," Quatre realised, "and I didn't do a very good job of keeping you out of danger." 

"Don't start the guilt thing, Quatre, there was no way either of you could have seen this coming." Relena sighed. "Heero would have done a thorough security check, and if these people got past both he and Trowa, they must be very organised."

"This is what worries me," Trowa remarked grimly. "The fact they must have injected me with the sedative very shortly after the gas took effect suggests the plan was to abduct all three of us. If this is peace talk related why is my presence required? It would make more sense to get rid of excessive baggage the same way I suspect they got rid of the original shuttle pilots."

"The two I saw on the shuttle for the brief time I was conscious weren't the pilots you investigated." Five years after the war, it was still difficult to shake the natural instinct of sizing up potential threats before entering a battlefield. Even though he trusted Trowa implicitly, Quatre had made himself familiar with the security measures connected with the conference; he and Relena had put in too much work for this to crash down around them. "Is it possible they were expecting you to come around sooner than we were? They certainly seemed surprised by both my awakening and …umm…comments."

"Comments?" Trowa arched one eyebrow, suspecting what was to come. His husband had an over protective streak a mile high when it came to his nearest and dearest. 

"I think I threatened to kill them." 

"You'll have to stand in line," Trowa began. "You think?" 

"I was busy fighting taking another nap," Quatre shot Trowa a familiar glare, "and you were dead to the world and trussed up like a turkey at the time." He sighed. "Very well trussed up in fact, which confirms they weren't taking any chances." Quatre shook his head. "I have a very bad feeling about this, Trowa." 

His unspoken question echoed through Trowa's mind. Did these people suspect they were dealing with a Gundam pilot? And if so, how was this connected to the peace talks?

The sound of metal against wood interrupted his thoughts and the door to their prison opened to admit two men and a woman, none of which he could remember encountering previously. "Hello, Mr Barton, Ms Darlian-Peacecraft, Mr Winner," the woman said. "I believe Mr Winner has already made the acquaintance of Mr Davis and Mr Smythe." 

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage," Quatre said, his tone polite although Trowa could feel the cold anger beneath it. "Ms?"

The woman brushed a strand of auburn from her face. "All in good time, Mr Winner." She stared at each of them in turn before finally locking her gaze on Trowa. He met it unflinching, not allowing his fear for the safety of his husband and their friend to show in either his expression or body language. 

"I'm especially pleased to finally meet you, Mr Barton. I do hope my employees haven't been too rough with you. After all, it's not every day that one gets to meet one of the famous Gundam pilots."

Trowa chose to ignore her but she laughed. "Come come, I have it on good authority that you piloted a Gundam during the war, Mr Barton." She paused. "I do have a slight problem though, regarding lack of information, which I hope you'll be able to help me with."

When he didn't answer, she shook her head, her eyes misting over in remembered emotion. "You see, I lost someone close to me in a Gundam attack, and I'd like to thank the pilot responsible…personally."

******

End Of Chapter One

TBC


	2. Chapter Two

Thin Red Line (2/?)

By Anne Olsen

Rating : This fic has been rated in accordance with the approved TTFF rating system. 

OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) – PG – Action, drama, angst, romance. 

Author's notes: This story is part of the 'Triunity' canon based arc, which is a joint project with my partner in crime, Sakura Rose. For further information please visit the series archive at 

The writing soundtrack for TRL is 'Thin Red Line' by Glass Tiger. 

Pairings: 3x4, 1xR, 2x5 

Summary: The shuttle transporting Relena, Quatre and Trowa to a political conference is hijacked in an endeavour to reveal the identity, and exact revenge, on a specific Gundam pilot. But it's five years after the Eve Wars, and people change. Or did they always have a predilection for attempting stupidly heroic things in the name of love? 

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the boys in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any broken bones or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction. 

Thanks to: Sakura for many hours of plottage conversations on AIM, beta reading, the summary and the soundtrack. Also to Bast for beta reading, and encouraging the … evil, and Anon for beta reading and fic stalking. 

Comments to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz 

=============================================================

Chapter Two

"Agent Chang, Agent Maxwell, my office. Now!" Lady Une exited the room without giving her employees a chance to reply. Wufei and Duo exchanged a glance before following. Bad news travelled fast.

Entering her office, Une motioned for Duo to close the door. "I'm presuming you already know about the missing shuttle," she said, after he and Wufei had each taken a seat. 

Wufei raised one eyebrow. "Do you have additional information we should be aware of?" he countered.

"I see the Gundam pilot network is working as well as ever," Une commented dryly from behind her desk. "So far we haven't received any demands, but I suspect the intention behind the abduction is to disrupt the upcoming peace talks on L1." She linked her fingers together, glancing between both men before opening a folder and removing a sheet of papers. 

"So the shuttle's now listed as officially missing?" Duo asked, edging closer to get a better look at the information on Une's desk. 

"Yes," Une confirmed. "And foul play is no longer merely a suspicion but a certainty." She paused. "The shuttle's pilots…"

"Dead or alive?" Duo's tone was urgent, and Wufei knew what, or rather _who,_ was on his mind. 

Trowa. 

Was their friend even still alive, and if so what was his life expectancy? Wufei reached over to give his lover's hand a reassuring squeeze; their chairs were close enough that Une wouldn't see the action. 

"Alive," Une answered. "They were found an hour ago, drugged but otherwise unharmed. Whoever has masterminded this operation is very efficient, I'll give them that." 

"Any indication of who the bastards are?" 

"Agent Maxwell, please watch your language," Une reprimanded him.

"I was," Duo muttered. It was definitely time to step in and play the levelheaded negotiator before Duo said what he was really thinking. They needed to convince Une that they were the ideal agents to head this investigation, and rudeness would not achieve that objective. 

"Were the pilots able to give any useful information?" Wufei took the photos Une offered, passing them over to Duo after he'd examined each one carefully. They were less than helpful. Heero and Trowa had already done a thorough investigation of these men; information regarding the events leading up to the shuttle hijacking would yield far better results. 

"I'm sending the agents assigned to the case to the hospital to interview them once they have recovered fully," Une answered. 

Wufei nodded his agreement, hoping that the information he and Duo could extract from them would prove advantageous. "I also wish to request a shuttle so that we can retrace the original shuttle's route before it disappeared off radar." Hopefully too, a re-examination of where the pilots had been discovered might yield further clues to either the perpetrator's identity or intentions. 

"No." The tone in Une's voice was emphatic.

"What? C'mon, the shuttle gives us more of a chance of finding them than sitting on our ass discussing theories." Duo added his approval to Wufei's suggestion. 

"No," Une gave them a stern look before elaborating. "The shuttle _is_ a good idea, but I'm not assigning you to this investigation."

"I beg your pardon?" If the enemy had managed to take out Trowa and Quatre, the stupid woman needed the agents best suited for the job, which in this situation, were himself and Duo. 

"What the fuck?" Duo rose to his feet, gripping the front of Une's desk with both hands. "Quatre, Trowa and Relena are missing. There's no way in hell we aren't going to be in on this." 

"And that is exactly why you and Chang aren't going to be 'in on this'." Une's tone remained even. "Maxwell, sit down." Her voice softened as she continued. "You're too close to the situation; it's difficult to keep your head cool when the lives of your friends could hang in the balance. I'm assigning Abrahams and Newkirk to the case."

"We were friends during the war and it didn't stop us kicking Ozzie and Alliance butt…Ma'am." Duo shrugged but, unimpressed with his superior's show of authority, remained standing. "Your choice. It's been a while since I've piloted Deathscythe and I'd hate to lose my touch." 

"You wouldn't?" Une's tone grew cold and her eyes narrowed, yet she didn't move from her seat. 

"Watch me."

"If you won't provide us with the resources to do the job, we'll use whatever means we have at our disposal," Wufei decided he'd had enough, and got straight to the point. "I'm sure Rashid and the other Maguanacs will be only too happy to be of assistance." Once Rashid and Howard, the Gundams' present caretakers, learnt of the current situation, they'd be less than impressed with Une's decision. The arrival of two Gundams at the conference, with the ever so slightly annoyed Maguanac Corp right behind them, would do wonders for furthering peaceful relations between Earth and the Colonies. 

"Of course then there's the fun job of telling Heero we aren't coming." Duo shrugged again. "Don't know about you, but I'm kinda attached to life about now." He smiled at Une, and Wufei noted with a degree of satisfaction the way her complexion somewhat paled. "Heero's not known for his subtly, especially when the lives of his girlfriend and two of his closest friends are on the line."

"How high do you figure the death toll would be?" Wufei pondered aloud. "But of course if we worked together I'm sure we could lessen that by…" He began counting off on his fingers, glancing at Duo for confirmation.

"One hundred per cent?" Duo reasoned. "But of course that would depend on how long it took us to get there. It's going to take us a while to collect our Gundams, but a Preventer shuttle could be prepped and ready to go by the time we've finished at the hospital and examined the crime scene." He glanced at his watch. "What time did we promise Heero we'd meet him?"

Wufei consulted his own watch. "As soon as we'd received Lady Une's blessing for the mission I believe."

"You present a convincing argument, gentlemen." Une sighed. "Use whatever Preventer resources you need, and don't make me regret my decision to invite Gundam pilots to join this organisation." 

"We'll be good, Aunty Une, promise." Duo winked at Wufei who prayed frantically that Une hadn't seen the very suggestive look accompanying it. 

Une gave Duo a disapproving glare and stood to dismiss them. "Give my regards to Mr Yuy, and good luck." 

"Thank you," Duo gave her a mock salute before heading for the door. Wufei followed him quickly after muttering his thanks under his breath. Once outside, they let out a sigh of relief. 

"Thank God we didn't have to actually go through with the Gundam threat," Wufei said, a rather unpleasant thought occurring to him in hindsight as they made their way toward the elevator.

Duo grinned. "I can just imagine the effect the reappearance of the Gundams would have had at this point of the peace negotiations." 

"Quatre and Relena have worked hard to get those idiots to listen to reason and even agree to sit at the same table. You'd think five years after the war the situation wouldn't have regressed so far, but people just don't learn from their mistakes. And they wish to be reminded of them even less so." Wufei's admiration of their friends had grown after observing the way they dealt with these people on a day to day basis. He wasn't sure how they'd managed to keep their sanity, but he had a fair idea that Trowa and Heero had something to do with it. 

"Yeah," Duo shuddered. "Can you imagine Cat and Rel's reaction?"

"I'd rather not," Wufei answered. A very pissed off Quatre and Relena watching all their work disintegrate because of something he and Duo had done was not something he ever wanted to contemplate. 

"Hospital, crime scene, then shuttle port," Duo pushed the elevator button a few times before deciding the stairs would be faster. 

"Still thinking about Heero?" 

"Yeah," Duo nodded. He paused on the top stair before turning to Wufei. "There's something we're missing, Fei, something important, and I get the feeling time isn't on our side." 

******

"He'll be okay, Quatre." 

Quatre tore his gaze away from the door that Trowa had just been escorted through. Trying to hide his growing fear, he turned his head slowly towards Relena. "I wish I could believe that." 

The woman behind this had put too much planning into the operation to take 'no' for an answer. Her initial wound of loss might have healed over, but the infected tissue was still breeding under the surface; her pain had hit him as soon as she'd begun to speak. She was determined to extract the information she required, and her grief would drive her until she achieved her revenge. It was a path that would only lead to more heartache. ZERO had taught him that in a lesson he knew he'd never forget; he'd come too close to losing his future in order to exact vengeance for a past he couldn't change. 

"You have to," Relena reminded him. "Losing hope now is not what Trowa needs." 

As Trowa had been led away, his and Quatre's eyes had met momentarily, and they'd each projected love, hope and reassurance through their shared empathic bond. Quatre sighed. Trowa was one hell of a lot better at remaining calm than he was. At present it was all he could manage to keep his breathing and tone even, and his imagination under tight reign. 

What if Trowa didn't have the information this woman wanted? Or, worse still, what if he did? There had been so many battles, so much killing. Wasn't it enough that, five years later, the carnage still haunted their dreams? 

"I fight so that others don't have to," Duo's words repeated through his mind. They'd all fought to protect the innocent, yet they'd had to kill to do so. 

Soldiers weren't innocents. Soldiers entered a battle knowing that in the dance with Death, he leads the waltz and they merely follow. 

Yet for every soldier who fell, what of the family they left behind? They were the true victims of war. They were the ones who suffered with each life taken. 

"Two wrongs don't make a right," Relena spoke sharply, cutting through Quatre's thoughts with a knife of truth. "She might have lost a loved one but making the person responsible suffer as she did isn't going to bring them back." 

"Unfortunately I don't think she's in a frame of mind to be reasoned with," Quatre pointed out. "She's hurting, Relena. And when people hurt they don't always think logically." 

After several minutes Relena broke the silence. "Do you think Trowa will tell her?"

Shaking his head, Quatre craned his neck in order to examine his restraints more carefully. These people were too bloody efficient; it was going to take time to free themselves, and time was something they didn't have. "But if he's the pilot she wants," he sighed, "he might attempt to negotiate for our lives." Quatre kicked at the wall behind him angrily and swore loudly in Arabian. Trowa was too damn protective; if it was a choice of saving himself or those he cared about he knew whom his husband would choose. 

Relena continued for him. "And if he's not, he wouldn't sacrifice a friend or…" The word hung unspoken between them. 

__

A lover. 

It was a no win situation. "I'm sorry," Quatre said. "This isn't your…" His voice trailed off as the pain ripped through his space heart, leaving him gasping for breath. Instinctively he attempted to rub at his chest, forgetting for the moment that his hands were shackled above his head. Biting his lower lip, he let out a low moan, dimly aware of Relena's voice as he reached out empathically for his soul mate. 

__

Trowa! 

"Quatre?" Relena's voice had an edge of panic in it. "Quatre?" she repeated. "Cat, look at me please."

__

Trowa! 

Sharp fingers of fire gripped him, squeezing him in an embrace of fear and panic and Quatre cried out. 

"Focus, Quatre, focus." Relena's voice came from a distance but all Quatre could think about was Trowa. Trowa was hurting. He was hurting. He was…

Something brushed against his mind, seeking sanctuary, seeking solace. The whirlpool of emotional frenzy calmed as they caressed each other through their shared connection. 

"I'm okay, Relena." Quatre managed to lift his head to give Relena a strained smile. "He's…" Quatre pulled himself up in time. "I wish I could…damn I feel so useless." He pulled at the chains around his wrists in an attempt to find a physical outlet to siphon off some of his anger; an emotional response wouldn't help Trowa ride out his interrogation. 

Surprise. Fear. 

Trowa attempted to mask his reaction but, with their connection this open and raw, he was fighting a losing battle. Whatever question he'd been asked, it was one he had no intention of answering. 

Determination. Fear. 

It wasn't Trowa they wanted. It couldn't be. Trowa was scared; but not for himself. Quatre had felt that desire to protect often enough to recognise it. 

Who was the pilot they wanted? Which of them was responsible for the death of their captor's loved one? 

A thought crossed Quatre's mind, a very unpleasant thought, and he shuddered. Please, no, not that. Would he never escape his mistake? No, he wouldn't allow it to cost him the life of anyone else he cared about. 

Fear. Determination. Panic.

Trowa was fighting to stay calm, but inside he was screaming.

The link between them began to fade. Quatre closed his eyes and focused, reaching out frantically to keep it open.

"No!" Quatre wasn't sure whether it was his own voice he could hear or Relena's. "No…"

The link slammed shut. Quatre reached again but his sense of Trowa was gone, dark, dead. 

"Quatre? Please…" 

Quatre's breath came in uneven gulps of air. He shuddered, realising he was shaking. _I can't feel him. Why can't I feel him? _

Forcing himself into calmness Quatre reopened his eyes. Drugs, it had to be drugs. Either that or…no he wasn't going to consider the option. Drugs dampened their connection. Certain types of drugs, including the strong sedatives they'd been given earlier, could sever it completely. 

It was important to hide his and Trowa's relationship. It was even more important to hide the strong empathic bond they shared. He needed to anchor himself, and quickly. "Relena," Quatre's voice was little more than a whisper as he prayed that their earlier suspicions of surveillance weren't correct. "I need to…" He paused. "Relena…I need you to be strong for me. Strong and calm."

"I'll…try." Relena gave him a tiny shaky smile, the hand she'd held up to her chest falling to rest across her stomach. There were very few people who were aware of Quatre's ability, and even fewer who knew that between he and Trowa, the ability to sense emotions flowed both ways. Luckily Relena was one of those trusted few. 

"Thank you." If Trowa were unconscious they'd be returning him soon, and Quatre had to give the appearance of being fully in control before that happened. Closing his eyes, he focused his ability and reached out empathically for Relena

Fear. Concern. Hope. Despair. 

"Deep breaths, slow and even." Relena spoke the phrase aloud, repeating it like a mantra. 

Calmness.

As one, her breathing slowed in tandem with her wildly fluctuating emotions. Allowing himself a sigh of relief Quatre used the welcome wave of tranquillity to slow his own breathing, and concentrated on working through his and Trowa's shared empathic trauma. 

A tendril of something reached out tentatively to merge with Relena's own unique empathic signature, the two strands twisting around each other, not quite becoming one, but each drawing from the other. 

Quatre frowned. Severing the connection quickly, he blinked rapidly to clear the fine mist from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Relena, I didn't…" 

Before he could continue, the door to their prison opened and Davis and Smythe entered, supporting a semiconscious Trowa between them. He groaned as they dumped him on the floor, none too gently, but gave no sign of being aware of his surroundings. Giving his own restrains an angry pull, Quatre wished he could get close enough to Trowa to assure himself that his husband was all right. There didn't seem to be any obvious signs of physical assault but the top buttons of Trowa's shirt were unfastened, the black fabric contrasting with the unusually pale hue of his skin. 

Groaning again, Trowa opened his eyes, but the empathic connection was still dead, his usual brilliant green, glazed and dull. "Quatre," he mumbled. "Quatre, Quatre." Glancing around in panic, his eyes sought out Quatre's but there was no sign of recognition. His head fell forward, and something inside Quatre snapped. 

"What the hell have you done to him?" So much for staying cool, calm and collected. Forcibly pulling again at his restraints, Quatre's voice rose still further in anger. "Did it occur to you idiots that he might not have the information you required?" 

"I would remind you, Winner, that this is none of your business." Davis' voice was calm and cool, and Quatre struggled against an overwhelming desire to introduce the man's face to his fist. "Your role here is merely that as a hostage, nothing more. Barton is a Gundam pilot…"

"And that gives you the right to do this?" Quatre interrupted. "The war was five years ago. Can't you see that revenge isn't the answer? Tracking down and killing a specific Gundam pilot won't resurrect the dead."

"I've waited a long time for this, Mr Winner, and I don't intend to let the uninformed ranting of a pacifist stand in my way." The woman's voice was quiet but determined; Quatre hadn't even noticed her enter the room. 

"I'll give you fucking pacifist," he retorted, ignoring the tiny voice of reason urging him to stay quiet. 

"Quatre, please," Relena urged. "You're upset, please don't make this worse for yourself, or for Trowa."

"If you don't shut up, Mr Winner, I'm going to have to get one of these gentlemen to gag you." The petite woman turned her attention back to Trowa. "I was under the impression that this drug was supposed to loosen Barton's tongue, not knock him out so we can't get anything out of him at all," she complained. 

Crossing the room, Davis grabbed a handful of Trowa's hair, using the motion to drag him to his feet. "These Gundam pilots appear to have a quick recovery time, I'm sure we won't have to wait too long." Davis released his grip, and Trowa's head fell forward, his lips moving in a whispered mantra. 

"No," Trowa protested. "No!" As he raised his head in a struggle to retain consciousness, the light from the open door caught the reflection of the gold band hanging from the slim chain around his neck, the brightness highlighted against the drab interior of the room.

Davis' smiled in anticipation as he rolled the object between his fingers. "Mrs Walker," he called out, "I think you'd better take a look at this."

******

__

I'm missing something. I know it. Heero swore at his laptop, and ran a hand through his untidy mop of hair in frustration. He'd run every scenario, every possible flight path through the program parameters, but still nothing. The shuttle only had so much fuel, and he knew the exact coordinates of its exact location when contact had been lost. 

Heero stood to refill his coffee – he hadn't rested since receiving the news and had no intention of doing so until Relena and their friends had been returned. 

There had been previous attempts on her life – there were still certain factions who resisted the idea of peace – but he'd always taken out all threats calmly and efficiently. Relena was more than capable of looking after herself; she'd handled herself admirably in the past, and she had Trowa and Quatre with her. There was no point dwelling on possibilities, the best approach to a mission was to map out the certainties and work through them one by one. He would continue to presume they were alive until he was presented with evidence to the contrary.

__

Love changes your priorities. He could still hear Trowa speaking those words at Quatre's bedside after Libra. 

Taking a slow sip of his coffee, he returned to his seat and allowed his eyes to close momentarily. His mind drifting to the plain velvet box in his pocket, a tiny smile creased his lips. It had taken seeing Relena almost at breaking point for him to find the courage to voice his feelings for her; and for her to admit that those feelings were reciprocated. Three years later, almost to the day, they had planned to publicly announce their engagement, although they'd both agreed it would better to wait until the conference had finished to do so. 

Her engagement ring was finely crafted, gorgeous, yet elegant. It suited Relena perfectly. When Heero had collected it from the jeweller's after re sizing he'd seen a wedding ring that was the perfect match. It was plain gold, but with tiny stones of the same brilliant blue of the engagement ring set into the band. Heero's own ring, though lacking the stones, complimented it perfectly. 

"Relena Yuy," Heero tested the combination aloud. He'd almost asked the jeweller to engrave it on his own wedding band, and his name on hers, but then had decided against it. Maybe initials and a quote would be better? Not being sure of the correct etiquette, he'd planned to ask Quatre and Trowa's advice. They'd had their own rings engraved, but he couldn't remember whether they'd decided on each other's initials or full names. 

Shaking himself out of his musings, Heero glanced at his watch. Duo and Wufei should be arriving shortly; he'd promised to meet their shuttle after it docked. Hopefully their investigation thus far had yielded better results than his own. 

Whoever had instigated this kidnapping had no idea who they were dealing with – they wouldn't live to regret their unknowing decision to mess with Gundam pilots and their loved ones. Heero didn't remember his own family and now he had one of his own, he'd protect them any way he could. 

Who was the real target? Relena and Quatre were the key speakers for the success of the peace talks. Quatre and Trowa were Gundam pilots. Either scenario was a possibility. 

Fingers flying over the keys, Heero booted up another program on his computer. When Une had assisted them in resuming their lives after the war, he'd designed a program to track anyone attempting to investigate his or any of the other pilots' backgrounds by following a cyber trail back to the instigator. There had been little need for it over the past five years - few close calls with investigative reporters and the ilk - and those responsible had been encouraged not to repeat the offence. 

Civilian life had affected him far more than he'd suspected. Once he'd run this program regularly as part of his security routine, but over the past few years it had only been instigated when there was reason to suspect a leak. It wouldn't surprise him if the others had been equally as careless. 

The computer signalled it had finished the current search. Heero wasn't surprised at the result. Very few suspected that Quatre was anything but the persona he projected, and although he was frequently in the public spotlight, those unwise enough to dig for dirt had been dealt with quickly. 

It would be interesting to see if Trowa had received the same lack of interest. Heero typed in the new commands and hit the enter key. Duo and Wufei would be arriving any moment; he'd check the results upon his return. 

******

"Good to see you again, Heero." Giving their friend a hug, Duo noticed with a grin that Heero seemed less uncomfortable with the close physical contact each time they met. Relena had helped him to loosen up one hell of a lot over the past few years. 

"Nice to see you too, Duo. And you, Wufei." Heero nodded his greeting to both of them, once he disentangled himself from Duo's embrace. "Any news on the shuttle?"

"Nope, nothing. Zero. Zilch." Duo shook his head as they followed Heero out of the docking bay. "Whoever these guys are, they've covered their tracks too damn well." 

"Though the fact that the shuttle pilots were drugged but otherwise uninjured bodes well," Wufei tried to reassure Heero, but the comment only served to increase Heero's agitation. "I think we should grab a coffee before Duo and I settle in. Is Alfred's Café still open for business?" 

"He never closes," Heero replied. "You can order coffee if you wish, but I'll refrain." 

Duo raised an eyebrow. "Just how much of the stuff have you been drinking?"

"Enough." 

"Have you slept since the shuttle disappeared?" Wufei steered them into the café, choosing a table away from the main crowd, so they could talk without any danger of being overheard.

"No." There was an underlying strain in Heero's voice that Duo didn't like. 

"She'll be okay, Heero. They all will." Wufei placed his duffle under the table after ordering two coffees from the waitress. "We'll find them even if we have to pull this sector of space apart satellite by satellite." 

"Thank you," Heero sighed. "I'm sure I'm missing something regarding this scenario and I don't like it." He paused. "If the shuttle pilots were drugged, I suspect a stronger dose may have been necessary to subdue Trowa and Quatre. I hope, for their sake, they didn't attempt to use the same dosage on Relena."

"She'll be okay," Duo repeated Wufei's earlier reassurance. "Probably have one hell of a hangover but she's a strong lady and I'm sure the guys will be looking out for her." 

Heero clenched one hand into a fist. "Look, I know she's your fiancé, but..."

"Relena called me from the shuttle to let me know the results of a test we'd both been waiting on." 

"Is she ill?" Wufei shot Duo a worried look, and Duo knew it wasn't only himself thinking the worse. He placed a hand on Heero's arm but it went unnoticed. 

"No," Heero said. "She's pregnant."

******

End of Chapter Two

TBC


	3. Chapter Three

Thin Red Line (3/?)

By Anne Olsen

Rating : This fic has been rated in accordance with the approved TTFF rating system. 

OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) – PG – Action, drama, angst, romance. 

Author's notes: This story is part of the 'Triunity' canon based arc, which is a joint project with my partner in crime, Sakura Rose. For further information please visit the series archive at 

The writing soundtrack for TRL is 'Thin Red Line' by Glass Tiger. 

Pairings: 3x4, 1xR, 2x5 

Summary: The shuttle transporting Relena, Quatre and Trowa to a political conference is hijacked in an endeavour to reveal the identity, and exact revenge, on a specific Gundam pilot. But it's five years after the Eve Wars, and people change. Or did they always have a predilection for attempting stupidly heroic things in the name of love and friendship? 

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the boys in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any broken bones or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction. 

Thanks to: Sakura for many hours of plottage conversations on AIM, beta reading, the summary and the soundtrack. Also to Bast for beta reading, and encouraging the … evil, and Anon for beta reading and fic stalking. 

Comments to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz 

=============================================================

Chapter Three

Trowa attempted to pull away as Mrs Walker examined his ring, but without success. Relena glanced at Quatre, but his gaze was firmly fixed on his husband. 

"QRW 04." Mrs Walker read the inscription aloud. The puzzlement in her voice was clear. "So you're preparing to marry in 204," she continued. The underlying sadness was impossible to ignore, even through the predominant cynicism. "Quite the romantic, wearing your wedding band around your neck even before taking the plunge. QRW? W…Winner perhaps?" she mused aloud, her next question directed towards Quatre. "I wondered why a pacifist would employ a Gundam pilot. Or maybe you and whichever unfortunate sister he's marrying are quite unaware of his true identity?"

"_I'm_ a pacifist and I wouldn't hesitate to employ a Gundam pilot," Relena spoke before Quatre could. "It's wrong to judge a person when you don't know them. Trowa's a good man…"

Mrs Walker cut her off sharply. "One of his colleagues killed my husband in cold blood. How can you equate that to being a 'good man'?"

"The pilots only fought so that others didn't have to," Quatre insisted. "Soldiers kill during a war, Mrs Walker. We've all done things we regret; I suspect even your husband killed while performing his duty. Does that make him a cold blooded killer too?" 

"Shut up, Winner," Davis waved his gun in Quatre's direction. "This is none of your damn business. I lost friends during Gundam attacks; Barton and his type deserve everything they get."

"I'm sorry," Quatre closed his eyes momentarily. When he reopened them it was difficult to miss the pain of regret. "I can't change what happened but I won't let you continue to hurt Trowa."

"Quatre, please…" Even though Trowa's words were slurred, there was no mistaking the desperation behind them. 

__

Quatre, be quiet. Please, Relena echoed silently. Why was he insisting on drawing attention to himself? Their kidnappers had no idea he was a Gundam pilot; he was only along for the ride because of his potential as a hostage. Nothing he could say now would help, and knowing Trowa, the more Quatre aggravated them, the more determined Trowa would be to sacrifice himself to protect his husband. She mentally rolled her eyes. Each was as bad as the other when it came down to stubbornness and the need to protect others. 

"Attempting to protect your future brother in law is all very noble, Mr Winner, but you have no say in this matter." After Smythe had refastened Trowa's restraints and held him still, Mrs Walker removed his ring and chain, put them in her pocket and gestured towards Relena. "As Mr Barton seems determined to be uncooperative, I'm sure you'll be only too happy to answer a few questions…"

"No! I won't allow…" 

"Quatre…" Relena attempted to stop her friend before he could say anything further, but seeing the familiar look of determination in his eyes, realised she was wasting her breath. Quatre was in protective mode; he had decided his loved ones were at risk and there would be no stopping him. 

"You aren't at one of your pacifist conferences now, Winner," Davis pointed out. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and approached Quatre. "Do you want me to gag him?" 

"Yes please," Mrs Walker confirmed. "I'm sorry, Mr Winner, but I don't have time for this." 

Gripping Quatre's hair in one hand, Davis pulled his head forward, slipping the cloth between the blond's teeth. "Hmmph," Quatre struggled against the other man and, bringing one knee up, struck a blow to his groin before Davis could properly fasten the gag.

Trowa struggled to free himself. "Quatre. No!" 

Cursing, Davis punched Quatre in the gut. "Little shit," he complained. "Barton's only a Gundam pilot…"

Spitting the gag out, Quatre spoke between uneven breaths. "So…am…I." 

******

Heero scrolled down the page, digesting the information on the screen. After leaving Wufei and Duo at their assigned quarters, he'd made his way back to his and Relena's suite. The priority at this point was to determine whether the search program he'd left running had discovered any viable information. Surely _someone_ must have been curious about Trowa given the history of the Barton name. 

Their curiosity shouldn't have led them anywhere. According to the false trail he and Trowa had set up, 'Nanashi' had never existed and their 'Trowa' now had a legitimate past, complete with verifying documentation. There should have been no reason to investigate the head of security of Winner Enterprises, unless someone was looking for…

Bullseye. Raising an eyebrow, Heero allowed himself a smile. The trap had caught a mouse. He scrolled down further, entered the information required to begin the trace on the hacker, and tapped his fingers impatiently on the table while waiting for the program to dictate his next move. 

Target sighted. 

What interest could this Annabelle Walker have in Trowa? Fingers dancing over the keys, Heero brought up her personal files. Husband: Walker, Stephen James. Date of death: AC195. Cause of death? 

Not good. 

Heero continued skimming, working his way through the medical files. Hopefully Relena would be able to talk some sense into Trowa and Quatre before they did something stupid. Once he got there he'd make their captor regret…

He froze. 

__

Oh God. Relena. 

******

"What the hell are you doing?" Trowa's voice cut across the silence that followed Quatre's revelation. 

"I can't let them hurt you, Relena or…" Quatre shot Relena a look of apology and a half smile of understanding passed between them. 

"That's not your decision to make," Trowa insisted. "Shut up, Quatre, please."

__

He knows about the baby, Relena realised, fighting the urge to lay her free hand against her stomach. That explained his reaction when she'd attempted to give him the emotional stability he'd needed earlier. "Cat," Relena began, her desire to tell her friend to look after himself first conflicting with her need to protect her unborn child. "I'm sorry," she finished, unable to find the right words without giving anything away to their captors.

"I know it's not Trowa you're after," Quatre pulled himself up as straight as he was able after returning Davis' glare. 

"How?" Mrs Walker's tone was sceptical. "And why should I believe that you're a Gundam pilot. You could be trying to play the knight in shining armour; sorry, but I don't see your white horse." 

"I retired it after the war," Quatre replied, a thin smile briefly passing his lips. "Where did your husband die, Mrs Walker?"

__

Be careful, Cat, Relena urged silently. Her stomach lurched as she noticed the resignation in his tone. _Oh God, he thinks he's the one she's after._

"Quatre, stop!" Trowa glared at his husband but was ignored. "You can't do this." He pulled at his restraints again, muttering something Relena couldn't quite catch under his breath. Although Trowa sounded more coherent, there was still something not quite right about him; his voice had a quality to it she hadn't heard before, and his eyes were wild and bright. 

"Yes I can, and I will." Quatre repeated his question. "Where did your husband die?"

"No!" Trowa's voice rose in pitch. "I've already told you I'm the one you want." 

"There were eyewitnesses at Corsica, Mr Barton; even though you killed a lot of people that day, you aren't responsible for my husband's death." 

Corsica? Wasn't that where Trowa and Quatre had met? "How can you know which pilot killed your husband?" Relena asked. "In the heat of the battle, it's difficult to…"

Mrs Walker interrupted. "The battle was almost over. Mr Barton's Gundam had run out of ammunition. If it weren't for the other pilot, my husband would still be alive."

"You don't know that for certain," Trowa interrupted again. "Battles aren't always as clear cut as they may seem." 

"The other Gundam attacked Stephen's Aries in mid air, using its heat shotels to destroy it. He didn't stand a chance. I know Gundam Sandrock was the only suit equipped with that weaponry. Its pilot is the one who murdered my husband." 

"They were fighting a war – killing someone else's husband won't bring back your own." Relena attempted to point out the flaws in her reasoning. 

"The Gundam pilots were terrorists, they _chose_ to attack the mobile suit factory. 04 killed my husband – he was the one responsible for the death of my family. He needs to face up to the consequences of his actions; it's not fair that he gets to continue on with his life with no regrets. It's not fair and it's not right."

"It's not fair and it's not right," Trowa snorted. "And your plan to kill his…" Trowa's words slurred as he shook his head, "to murder someone else is?"

"I do have regrets," Quatre said, ignoring the interjection. "War is something you never forget, never totally leave behind. I'm sorry for the death of your husband, but revenge isn't the answer."

"I'm not seeking revenge, Mr Winner, I'm seeking justice." 

"Are you?" Quatre shook his head. "It's very easy to blur the lines between the two. I nearly caused the death of the person I love because of it – please don't make the same mistake." 

"For God's sake don't bring that up now," Trowa muttered. 

Davis snorted. "For a so called Gundam pilot, you seem to have one hell of a lot of regrets. I, for one, don't believe a word of it. How do we know you're not just making this up to save your friend?" He shrugged. 

"He's not…" Quatre trailed off, sighed, and then spoke again. "If you look around my neck, you'll find the matching ring to the one Trowa was wearing. It's inscribed with his initials and pilot designation." 

Retrieving Trowa's ring from her pocket, Mrs Walker signalled Smythe to approach Quatre. He pulled the chain from around Quatre's neck, breaking it to remove it, rather than undoing the clasp. Quatre gave a small hiss of pain.

"Arsehole," Trowa muttered under his breath. The look he directed towards Smythe was similar to the one Heero had worn as he'd caught Relena's last would be assassin.

"Trowa?" Quatre frowned. "What the hell did you give him?" 

Ignoring his question, Mrs Walker examined the two rings side by side and read the inscription on the one Smythe had taken from Quatre. "TBW 03. Trowa Barton…?"

"Trowa Barton Winner," Quatre finished Mrs Walker's words for her. Noticing Davis' disbelief, he spoke slowly for the other man's benefit. "He's more than just my friend, you moron, he's my husband."

Trowa groaned. "That's right, Quatre, spell it out. If he didn't get it the first time, he sure as hell does now."

Mrs Walker held the other ring to the light, her lips twisting into a triumphant smile as she read aloud. "QRW 04."

"Quatre Raberba Winner…" Quatre started to say but Trowa cut across him. 

"Yes, he's married to me, and maybe that gag wasn't such a bad idea as he _obviously_ doesn't know when to shut up." 

"Pilot 04," Quatre continued quietly, the coldness in his voice reflecting his growing annoyance. 

"Quatre Raberba Winner, you're a stubborn over protective idiot." 

"Oh? And you're not?"

"I'm not the one insisting on the self sacrificing routine. I could have got through this, but no, you had to tell them you're..."

"_You _could have got through this? Did you honestly think I'd risk either your life or Relena's to…" 

"They didn't need to know that you're a Gundam pilot." 

Quatre didn't bother to hide his anger. "So I'm supposed to play the naïve little pacifist and stay safe while my friends are in danger? That argument's not going to cut it, Trowa, and you damn well know it." 

"At least you'd have a chance of staying alive. At least…" Trowa faltered. "You wouldn't be here if they hadn't discovered I was a Gundam pilot."

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this! It was my choice. I was trying to save your life, you idiot!"

"And I was trying to save yours until you gave away all your secrets." Trowa nodded in the direction of their captors. "Why not give them a blow by blow account of our sex life while you're at it? That should totally shatter any misconceptions they might still have about the 'naïve little pacifist'."

"Trowa!" Quatre's pale complexion burned a fiery red. He muttered something under his breath.

"No way. If we get out of this, _you're_ the one doing time on the sofa." Trowa glared at his husband. "And speak English, not Arabic. I'm sure our hosts would love to hear your suggestions as to where exactly I should 'put myself'." 

"Fuck you!"

"Mr Winner!" Mrs Walker seemed unable to decide whether she was annoyed or amused by the argument. 

Two heads turned in unison. "Shut up!" 

__

Mental note to self, Relena decided. _Don't interrupt a domestic between two Gundam pilots._ Glancing between the two men, she noticed that Trowa's breathing was becoming more laboured, and Quatre's eyes were somewhat glazed. Neither of her friends' behaviour was what she'd deem normal. Trowa was usually so reserved in front of an audience; she doubted anyone besides Quatre had seen an outburst such as this before. _She_ certainly hadn't; and Heero had never mentioned it. Quatre, while not one to hide his emotions, also usually kept himself in check in public because of his position in the public eye.

__

"I was under the impression that this drug was supposed to loosen Barton's tongue, not knock him out so we can't get anything out of him at all."

Could this be the result of whatever had been used on Trowa? Quatre had been struggling to control himself emotionally _before_ Trowa's outburst; it wouldn't have taken much for the intensity of Trowa's unchecked emotions to bleed through their empathic connection and affect both of them. 

"Quatre! Trowa!" Relena urged. "Please, that's enough." They had to be stopped before this got further out of control. 

"That's enough!" Mrs Walker repeated. "Maybe I should just shoot the both of you and be done with it." She nodded at Smythe who drew his gun, and aimed it at Trowa. "And if I had any doubts you were telling the truth, I don't now." 

"I am…I am…telling…" Trowa's eyes rolled up in his head and he groaned. "Cat… Cat?"

"It's okay, muHibb [1], I'm here," Quatre shivered, shook his head as though trying to clear it, and glared at Mrs Walker. "What the _hell_ did you give my husband?"

******

"Heero?" Duo knocked on the door again. "Heero, what the hell are you doing in there?"

"No longer sleeping, that's for certain," Wufei commented dryly. 

"I'm worried about him, Fei." Duo chose to ignore Wufei's remark. "He's had a lot thrown at him in a short time; I'm not sure how I'd cope in that situation."

"Yes, but Heero's not you," Wufei pointed out. "He's probably working through it all step by step, and formulating a plan of attack."

"Yeah, but we don't even know where Rel and the guys are; or who has them." Duo threw up his hands in disgust when another knock was met with a resounding silence. Reaching into his braid, he retrieved his lock picks and made short work of the door. "What?" he asked in response to Wufei's raised eyebrow. 

"I didn't know you still carried those. The war's been over five years, surely there's no need…"

"Old habits die hard." Duo opened the door, hoping he hadn't accidentally triggered any 'safety precautions' Heero might have set up. After taking a few deep breaths and noting they were still in one piece, he turned to Wufei, suddenly serious. "I don't still carry them, as a rule, but I have a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get." 

It didn't take them long to discover the reason behind the lack of response. The suite was empty, the screensaver on the laptop the only source of light or movement. Duo seated himself in front of the computer and began typing. "A nice trail of breadcrumbs would be helpful about now," he muttered under his breath, "or preferably X marks the spot, bad guys here." 

"He hasn't appeared to have taken anything apart from his gun," Wufei emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later. "Found anything yet?" 

"No," Duo answered. "But whatever program he was using, I'm sure it holds the key to why he left without taking the time to let us know." He frowned. "Damn it, Heero! Encrypt everything while you're at it, why don't you?" 

"Want some help?" Wufei asked.

"Nah, it's just going to take longer than I thought." Duo cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "In a weird way the challenge is refreshing, but I wish it were under different circumstances."

"Let me know when you're done," Wufei picked up the phone and began to dial, moving into the bedroom to make the call. "Heero's taken a shuttle," he informed Duo a few minutes later, after re-entering the room. Wufei replaced the phone on its cradle and leaned back against the desk. "He's cut communication and is using stealth technology to avoid detection." 

"Where the hell's he headed? The guy's an idiot for ditching us; we stand a better chance of taking out the bad guys if we work together." Heero in his present state of mind, going into a potentially dangerous situation with guns blazing, wasn't an idea he wanted to contemplate.

"It is careless of him to attempt this without backup. He's allowing his concern for Relena to override his commonsense." Wufei sighed. "But if you were missing, I know I'd feel the same way."

Duo reached for Wufei's hand, squeezed, then released it. "Don't worry, Fei, you're stuck with me for the duration." Once they tracked him down, Heero would get an earful he'd never forget. Duo couldn't help but grin as he anticipated Relena's reaction when her fiancee showed up. Maybe he'd better stand in line for that one. 

Returning his attention to the screen, Duo cursed several times. "What would he use for a password? I'm missing something here, I'm sure of it." 

"Mostly harmless," Wufei suggested.

"Huh?"

"Remember 'The Hitchhiker's Guide'?" [2]

"Oh yeah." Duo had found the series of books a few years ago, gotten Quatre hooked on them, and they'd passed them around their circle of friends. Heero had been amused by Trowa's comment -"Gundam pilots: _now_ mostly harmless" - after they'd removed all traces of their pasts. 

Running the words together failed so Duo tried again, this time inserting an underscore between them. He gave a whoop as he hit the jackpot, and turned to pull Wufei down towards him so that he could receive his reward. The kiss was brief, their lips lingering just long enough to tease. "You're a genius." 

"Your genius," Wufei corrected, his fingers toying with the end of Duo's braid. 

"Definitely." Duo smirked. "You'll get your payment in full later, Grasshopper." 

"Work first, pleasure later." Wufei leaned in over Duo's shoulder for a better look at the screen. "Annabelle Walker," he read aloud. "Her husband was killed at Corsica five years ago." Wufei muttered a curse. "Wasn't that where…"

"Cat and Tro met." Duo finished for him. "Yeah. The whole mutual surrender thing." He shook his head. "Too much of a coincidence, but how the hell could she find out? We covered our tracks, covered them too damn well."

"Obviously not well enough." Wufei frowned. "I doubt this has anything to do with the peace conference. Her husband was killed in a Gundam attack – two Gundam pilots have gone missing – definitely not a coincidence."

"If she does have them, we'll need to find out where before she finds out they're the pilots responsible for her husband's death." Duo continued hunting through computer files. "If luck's on our side, even if someone has managed to discover either Tro or Cat piloted a Gundam, finding out which one won't be as…" 

"What is it?" 

"Shit!"

"What?" Wufei pushed in to read the information for himself. "Remaining fuel. Course projection…Heero's plotted several possible scenarios for the shuttle's destination."

It took all of Duo's will power not to raise his voice. "Yeah, but he's got Corsica at the top of the list. Think about it, Fei - poetic justice and all that. Revenge is sweeter if you can rub your target's nose in it."

"One life for another, a symbolic sacrifice in the same place." 

"Exactly. C'mon, we'd better get after Heero before he does something really stupid." A sudden movement behind him caused him to turn. "Fei?" When Wufei didn't answer, Duo reached up to squeeze his shoulder with one hand. "Fei?" 

Wufei's voice sounded strained. "Duo, how far down the page did you read?"

"About half way, why? It just some medical info on the lady. Woman's stuff, that sort of thing. According to her shrink her mental state seemed okay so I didn't go further."

"Read it."

"Okay, but I don't think…" Duo stopped as the words hit him straight between the eyes. "Oh God." 

******

Quatre glared at Smythe who was still holding the gun on Trowa. "Put the bloody gun down." Trowa was hanging limply from his restraints; unconsciousness had followed his calling out for Quatre in a disturbingly small matter of minutes. 

The fuzziness in his head was clearing but it was still an effort to focus clearly. Whatever had had affected Trowa had hit him through their empathic connection as soon as it had come back 'online'. Both of them had said things they shouldn't have, but for the moment that was the least of their problems. Quatre directed his next comment toward Mrs Walker. "If you've harmed him, I'll take you apart piece by piece. I've already told you I'm the one who killed your husband. You have me - release Trowa and Relena. This has nothing to do with them." 

"Oh but it has, Mr Winner," Mrs Walker clarified her statement. "I'll let your friend Relena go once justice has been served, but your husband is another matter entirely." 

It was impossible to ignore the creeping coldness resulting from the self-assuredness and calmness in her tone. 

"But I'm the one you want, not Trowa," Quatre insisted. He searched his memory frantically for the name she'd used, "Stephen wouldn't want you to tarnish his memory by harming someone who isn't responsible for…" 

"Isn't responsible?" Davis snorted. "Barton's the Gundam pilot who attacked the mobile suit factory in the first place. You might have pulled the trigger but he cocked the gun and removed the safety." 

"Please, William." Mrs Walker interrupted him. "While I appreciate your input, I'm more than capable of explaining my intentions without your help." She cleared her throat. "I know you're trying to protect your husband, Mr Winner, and I respect that." 

Yes, but Quatre doubted that respect could be turned in Trowa's favour. A sudden pain hit his spaceheart, and he bit his lip to prevent crying out. This was more than just about her husband's death – but he couldn't work out what he was missing. "Stephen died during a war – killing someone else won't honour his memory, and I doubt it's going to make you feel your loss any less afterwards." 

"Don't presume to know what will honour his memory, Winner." Her eyes flashed, a deep sense of sorrow riding the crest of anger. "You've taken away my future, our future. Why should I consider giving you anything less in return?"

"You can't be serious," Quatre shook his head. "Please, this is my responsibility, you can't punish Trowa for something I did…" His voice trailed off. Where the hell were his strategy skills when he needed them? 

A low groan came from the other wall. "Quatre?" Trowa's voice was croaky and his breathing uneven, but he sounded and felt more like himself again. 

"So you're awake again, Mr Barton." Davis' voice had an edge of contempt to it. What the hell was the man's problem? "How nice of you to join us."

Trowa met Quatre's gaze, answering his unspoken concern with a nod. "Quatre?" he asked, his brow creasing into a frown. He couldn't let Trowa find out this way. He couldn't. "Cat, what is it?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," Quatre told him, forcing himself to remain calm. 

"Really?" Trowa wasn't convinced. 

"Mr Winner's not reacting well to the news that his noble attempt at self sacrifice was in vain." Davis sneered. 

"What the hell's your problem?" Quatre snapped. 

"What the hell gives you the right to just pick up your lives after the war? All those people who died at your hands didn't stand a chance against the superior firepower of your mecha." Davis glared at Trowa. "I lost several close friends when you attacked this base. Their death screams have haunted my dreams ever since."

"Everyone loses loved ones during a war," Trowa told him. "War is never just. Death doesn't discriminate, the most you can hope for is a bitter sweet victory, no matter who wins."

"I'm sorry. I watched my father die, knowing there was nothing I could do to save him." Quatre still heard the screams of death when he closed his eyes, both of his loved ones and those he had killed.

"And now you'll watch your husband die, knowing you can't save _him_." Mrs Walker shook her head. "I'm not a monster, Mr Winner. At least I'm going to give the two of you a chance to say your goodbyes, which is more than you gave me."

"You can't…" Quatre's voice shook. "Please…I can't… Killing Trowa isn't going to achieve…"

"I wasn't prepared to kill an innocent, even for revenge, but as William so kindly pointed out," Mrs Walker sighed, "he's far from that. You should thank me for letting you off so lightly. I'm only taking one life in exchange for two."

Relena gasped. "Oh my God." Sympathy and pain followed understanding but the significance of Mrs Walker's announcement still eluded Quatre. "You were…"

"That's enough." Mrs Walker snapped. "Enjoy your last moment of peace, Mr Winner - it's time for Mr Barton to say his goodbyes. "

******

[1] Arabian for 'lover'. 

[2] "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. Ford Prefect, after years of research, changed the entry for Earth from 'harmless' to 'mostly harmless'.

End of Chapter Three

TBC

******


	4. Chapter Four

Thin Red Line (4/6)

By Anne Olsen

Rating : This fic has been rated in accordance with the approved TTFF rating system. 

OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) – PG – Action, drama, angst, romance. 

Author's notes: This story is part of the 'Triunity' canon based arc, which is a joint project with my partner in crime, Sakura Rose. For further information please visit the series archive at 

The writing soundtrack for TRL is 'Thin Red Line' by Glass Tiger. 

Pairings: 3x4, 1xR, 2x5 

Summary: The shuttle transporting Relena, Quatre and Trowa to a political conference is hijacked in an endeavour to reveal the identity, and exact revenge, on a specific Gundam pilot. But it's five years after the Eve Wars, and people change. Or did they always have a predilection for attempting stupidly heroic things in the name of love and friendship? 

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the boys and Relena in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any broken bones or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction. 

Thanks: To Sakura for many hours of plottage conversations, beta reading, the summary and the soundtrack. To Bast for beta reading, encouraging the … evil, and suggesting wonderful bloody solutions to certain problems. And to Anon for beta reading and fic stalking. 

Comments to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz 

Chapter Four

"Trowa, how tight are your restraints?" Trowa knew Quatre too well to be fooled by his calm tone. His husband was attempting to distract himself by focusing his strategy skills. 

"Tight enough," Trowa stood and craned his neck in an attempt to reassess the situation. Maybe if he could…He twisted his wrist, pulled, and swore under his breath as the pain shot up his arm. 

"Mine aren't any better," Quatre sighed from the other side of the room. He tugged at the chain attaching his handcuffs to the wall. "So much for my brilliant attempt at self sacrifice. All I've managed to do is sign your death warrant."

"It wasn't one of your brighter moments," Trowa agreed, weighing up options as he examined his cuffs again. If he could free even one hand, it would be enough. 

"And I can't even blame the damn drug for that one," Quatre cursed and banged his chains against the wall. "You'd think our host would have been kind enough to at least lose the handcuffs so we could say our goodbyes properly." 

"Kind enough to give us a sporting chance of escaping you mean?"

"Well, yeah. There must be some way of…" Quatre scowled. "I'm not going to let you die." 

"I think this might work," Trowa flexed his right hand. It was going to hurt like hell, but was a much better option than a bullet through the head. Feeling his father's death during the war had driven Quatre over the edge; with the strength of the empathic link between them this would be a thousand times worse. There was no way he would leave Quatre in that living hell. 

"Why do I know 'this' involves something I'm not going to like." 

"Umm…"

"If anyone's going to take risks here it should be me." Quatre glared at him. "It's my fault we're in this mess." 

"No." Trowa twisted himself upwards, so that his right hand was resting on his head. "I'm more flexible than you are. There's less chance of permanent damage if _I _do this."

"Permanent damage?" Quatre muttered something under his breath before sighing in resignation. "Just _try_ to be careful." 

"Hmm," Trowa focused his concentration on the task ahead. Bracing his arm against the wall, he grasped his right cuff firmly with his left hand. Gritting his teeth in readiness for the anticipated pain, he dislocated his right thumb and began pulling his hand through the cool steel. 

Quatre winced, taking a sharp intake of breath at the loud crunch of breaking bone. Skin caught against metal and Trowa tried to focus on anything but the fire ripping through his hand. 

__

Nearly got it. Just a bit more pressure…right…there. Although the blood was helping to lubricate it also made it difficult to keep a firm grip on the cuff. "Shit!" Trowa swore as his hand suddenly slid free of the restraint. "I'm okay," he reassured Quatre. "Hurts like hell, but…" Trowa didn't bother finishing the sentence. They were running out of time. 

Now that one hand was free the cuffs slid easily from the chain securing them to the wall. Trowa hissed as he cradled his broken limb against his chest. Using his left hand he deftly retrieved the McGyver [1] he kept hidden in the waistband of his trousers. The Preventer issue Gundanium tool was broad and flat at one end, thick and round at the other and had a wicked edge. Duo had nicknamed it after he and Quatre had persuaded their partners to join them in watching the old vid series. 

Picking up a rock to test its size, Trowa was thankful that no one had bothered to clear the room of rubble. "I can't do this with one hand," he told Quatre. "You're going to have to position the sharp end against the chains holding your cuffs to the wall while I use the rock as a hammer."

Quatre took the proffered tool that Trowa slipped between his fingers. Wriggling down the wall, he raised his hands as high above his head as he was able. Arranging the sharp end so that it was hard against the chains holding his handcuffs, he took a deep breath and gave Trowa a nod. The look in his eyes reminded Trowa of the time he'd played target to Trowa's knife throwing at the circus when Cathy had taken a well-deserved break. 

__

He trusts me, Trowa thought.

A few well-aimed strikes and Quatre was able to pull his handcuffs free from what was left of the links of metal chain. Trowa dropped the rock, ignoring the backlash of pain caused by the vibration of rock against metal. They had to move quickly; it was surprising no one had investigated the noise. 

Twisting his body, Quatre brought his shackled hands down to waist level and flexed his arms. "Much better," he sighed, moving over to inspect the door. "I can manage this without your help; you need to protect your hand." 

The hinges were rusty and Quatre made short work of them using the McGyver even though it was awkward with the cuffs still around his wrists. Before breaking the last one, he gave Trowa a light kiss on the lips. "For luck," he explained. "Let's make these idiots regret taking on a couple of Gundam pilots." 

*****

It had been surprisingly easy to breach the almost non-existent security of the former mobile suit factory. Heero's assumption had been correct as to the location of the missing shuttle, and once he'd approached Corsica he'd had no problems finding it. 

"Very sloppy," he muttered, glancing at the unconscious men at his feet. Surely they would have taken better precautions after snatching two Gundam pilots? Or were they so sure of themselves that they hadn't anticipated someone discovering their whereabouts? Whatever the reason, it was to their detriment. Heero seated himself at the security console and reviewed the base schematics.

This was one of the few buildings left standing, and the only one presently occupied. The area had long been abandoned, even before the end of the war. According to the information on the screen there were two possibilities as to where the prisoners might be held. 

Heero headed for the door of the communications room. He wasn't in the mood to deal with any crap; his priority was finding Relena and their friends. If this Walker had harmed them or his unborn child, he'd ensure she didn't live to regret it. 

The sound of voices came from outside the room and he ducked behind the open door, his gun firmly grasped in both hands. Even though it had been several years since the war, he hadn't lost his finely honed skills. Years of conditioning had made them instinct, despite his reluctance to kill. The mission was his focus; nothing could be allowed to distract him, just as nothing or no one would be allowed to stand in the way of the safety of his family and friends. In threatening his loved ones, these idiots had signed their own death warrants. On some level he hoped someone would be stupid enough to challenge him. 

The men kept walking, unaware of how close they had come to death. They passed Heero without even a glance in his direction. 

Deciding to investigate the ground level option first, Heero left the communications room, crossed the corridor and entered what had once been the downstairs holding cell area. A few commands entered into the handheld jamming device in the back pocket of his jeans made short work of the surveillance camera. He snorted as he fed a continuous loop of footage into the system. These people were either amateurs or had underestimated the capabilities of their enemy. The survival rate of those who had previously made that mistake was virtually non existent. 

The cell at the end of the block was the only one locked; it took him less than a minute to get the door open. He entered cautiously, gun aimed towards any potential opponents, his weight on the balls of his feet in case he had to take sudden action. 

"Heero…" The look of relief on Relena's face was echoed by the tone in her voice, although she didn't completely manage to hide her initial fear. Noticing her hands were bound behind her, Heero fought to control his anger. It was fortunate for those responsible that she appeared to be unharmed.

Urging Relena to be silent, he checked that the cell was free of surveillance. It was. Heero frowned. This wasn't a good sign, and further verified his suspicions as to Walker's target. 

"It's okay, I'm here." Heero holstered his gun and crossed the cell. He retrieved the McGyver tucked in his belt, cut through the ropes used to restrain her, and pulled her into his arms. She buried her head against his shoulder, leaning into the embrace, holding onto him as though she never wanted to let go. Their lips brushed against each other briefly, their eyes meeting in unspoken communication. 

"I'm okay, Heero. I'm okay." Relena rubbed the small of his back. "We're _both_ okay." 

"Thank God," Heero whispered. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, her voice taking on an urgent tone. "Trowa and Quatre…"

"Where are they? Are they still...?" He couldn't bring himself to put his thoughts into words. 

"She's going to kill Trowa. We have to get there before…" Relena's voice hitched before her words tumbled over each other in her rush to get them out. "Quatre killed her husband during the war, and she wants him to suffer the same way she did." She began pulling him towards the door. "She moved me in here to give them time alone to say goodbye but I don't know how much longer they've got. Oh Heero, the look on Quatre's face when she told him…"

Heero shushed her gently. "By she you mean Annabelle Walker?"

"We have to go, Heero." Relena pushed his finger away from her lips. "I don't think we've got much time." 

"Does she know you're...?"

"Pregnant?" Relena shook her head. "I don't think so."

"If anything happens you can't let her know about the…about our baby." Relena stopped and stared at him, but there wasn't the surprise on her face he expected. 

"I know, Heero, I know." Pain and sympathy twisted Relena's features. "Quatre wasn't only responsible for the death of her husband; she lost her unborn child as well." Heero took her hand in his and squeezed it. "As much as I think revenge isn't the answer, I'm not sure how I'd react if something happened to _our_ baby."

"Nothing _is_ going to happen to our baby," Heero kissed her gently. He didn't want to take her into danger, but considering Walker's presumed mental state, didn't dare leave her alone_. I should have waited for backup._ "You need to do exactly what I tell you and stay behind me. If we're going to save Trowa we have to move quickly. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Relena nodded. "Are Duo and Wufei in position yet?"

"No." Heero checked that the corridor was still empty before motioning Relena to follow him. 

"Do they even know you're here?"

"No."

"Heero…" Relena gave an exasperated sigh. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Heero didn't see the point in wasting time denying the obvious. "I wasn't." He handed her his gun; there was no way she was going into a potentially dangerous situation without a weapon. "Use it only if you need to. And if you do, shoot to kill." 

******

The men on guard were standing several feet from the now open door, their backs facing the two Gundam pilots. If the threat had been expected to come from outside, it was a mistake that would prove costly. 

Quatre wrapped the chains of his handcuffs around the throat of the closest man and pulled tightly. Turning, the guard's companion launched himself at Trowa. A quick flick of Trowa's wrist and his would be opponent's gun hit the floor as the sharp end of the McGyver hit its target. Before the man had a chance to react to the object embedded in his hand, Trowa elbowed the man in the ribs and kneed him in the stomach, using the twin action to slam him into the wall and knock him out. Bending over to retrieve his weapon, Trowa glanced at Quatre. The other guard was sliding to the floor, unconscious, as Quatre released the pressure from around his throat. 

"In a weird way I've missed this kind of action," Quatre admitted, keeping his voice low as he searched the downed man's pockets. "Damn. No keys." He tucked the guard's gun into the waistband of his trousers, and moved over to the man Trowa had taken out. "We need to get your hand wrapped and elevated." His frown turned to triumph as he displayed the keys dangling from his fingers. "Part of me wanted to kill them for what they've done, but that makes us no better than they are." Quatre sighed. "And I'm not sure I would have coped with the empathic kickback at this close range after that drug." 

"That's what I thought," Trowa winced and bit his lip, fighting another wave of pain shooting through his hand as he bent to pick up the other gun from where it had been dropped.

"Wrapped and elevated. Now." Quatre freed his wrists from their restraints and then used the keys to release Trowa from the handcuffs still dangling from his good hand. 

"Yes, sir." Trowa cocked the gun with his left hand, preparing himself to provide Quatre with cover so that he could concentrate on tending his injury. 

"I always knew you had a thing for authority figures." Quatre removed his shirt and tie and gave Trowa a grin. He ripped his shirt into large pieces and began to wrap Trowa's right hand with the soft cotton fabric. "This may hurt a bit, but I'll be as gentle as I can, okay?" 

"I trust you." Another wave of pain shifted Trowa's attention away from how good Quatre looked without his shirt. 

Quatre finished his field dressing, and draped his tie around Trowa's neck. "Nearly done." After he'd used it as a makeshift sling he stood back to inspect his work. "Not perfect but it will have to do."

"Thank you," Trowa replied. He bent over and brushed his lips against Quatre's. "I do appreciate what you tried to do in there, but don't make a habit of it, okay?"

"I won't if you won't." Quatre returned the kiss. "Any ideas where they might be holding Relena? We need to find her before Mrs Walker…"

"I know." Trowa shook his head. After recognising the symptoms of Cathy's pregnancy and body language of those crucial early months, it hadn't been difficult to put two and two together. "I think I can remember where they took me for interrogation. Maybe…" He froze. 

Someone was coming. 

******

"Heero's definitely been here," Wufei remarked dryly, turning the bodies over for closer examination. Although there was no obvious sign of physical violence, the two guards manning the security system were out cold. 

"Weird that no one's come to investigate. You'd think he would have drawn _some_ attention to himself. Heero's not exactly known for his subtle approach and the bodies must be piling up by now."

"He's more than capable of subtle when he wants to be." Wufei turned his attention the security monitors. "See that there?" He pointed to footage of a nondescript corridor and seated himself in front of the screen.

Duo frowned. "Yeah," he watched the monitor for a moment, his frown turning into a grin, "it's been looped. Heero's been through there all right. Any idea where _there_ is? All these damn corridors look the same. The last thing we need right now is to get lost in the middle of an old science fiction movie set." 

One of the guards groaned. Duo delivered a swift blow to the back of his head and sent him back into unconsciousness. Shrugging in response to Wufei's raised eyebrow, he took a few steps forward to stand behind his lover. "Hey, we haven't got time to tie them up. You'd think Heero would've had the decency to save us the trouble, but he's too busy playing Lone Ranger." 

"I've found something," Wufei announced. "Here," he keyed in a few more commands and brought up more of the base schematics, "in the old holding cells on the first floor." Two men lay sprawled on the ground, a heavy wooden door half off its hinges behind them.

"Hmm, it looks like either Heero's got to Rel and the guys, or Quatre and Trowa have decided to stop playing the victim."

"The looped footage is here." Wufei pointed at the screen. "That corridor, which we passed on the way into the building, is directly below the cell block where those bodies are. Note how the layout of both levels of the building are identical, the rear of each leading to the old suit hanger." 

Duo pulled his gun and cocked the trigger. "I think it's time to join in the fun. This is turning into a regular Gundam pilots reunion."

****** 

Drawing his gun, Quatre motioned Trowa to stay behind him. While Trowa was still capable of handling himself if the need arose, it made more sense to let Quatre deal with the threat. The corridor they were in was a dead end; the cellblock had been designed so that escaping prisoners had only one direction to go – straight into the arms of waiting guards. There was an option of retreating into one of the other cells. The one immediately to their right was in ruins; the half-demolished wall would at least provide them with some degree of cover and a way out. But seeing the familiar cold look of determination in Quatre's eyes, Trowa knew his husband agreed with his own decision. They'd been through enough crap – it was time to remind their captors that they were dealing with Gundam pilots. 

The footsteps grew closer. Gripping his gun in both hands, Quatre kept it focused ahead while he stepped over the bodies and moved silently towards their unknown assailant. Trowa followed, his own gun at the ready. After getting this far there was no way they were going down without a fight. 

Quatre continued to creep towards the junction in the corridor, halting briefly to signal Trowa once he was in position. Trowa's finger tightened on the trigger, eyes scanning the darkness ahead. Even if they managed to take out his husband, they wouldn't live long enough to register their victory. He didn't like leaving the bulk of the operation to Quatre but he was well aware of his current physical limitations. Trowa might be injured but it wouldn't prevent him covering Quatre or taking out a second assailant if one existed. 

The enemy entered their section of corridor. 

Both men rushed forward. Quatre lunged for their would-be attacker, shoving him up against the wall with a thud. He jammed his weapon up under the man's jawline. Trowa swore under his breath as he noticed that their opponent's knife was pressed up against Quatre's throat.

Meeting Trowa's glare, Heero Yuy lowered his McGyver. "I see you and Quatre have the situation well under control, " he commented dryly. "We appear to be somewhat late in our rescue attempt." 

"Good to see you too, Heero." Quatre stepped back, giving a light chuckle. "I see you haven't lost your touch." He lowered his gun as Relena emerged from the shadows to join her fiancee. "Relena, are you okay?" 

"I'm fine." Relena slipped her hand into Heero's and he stroked it absently with his thumb. "Trowa, what happened?"

"I had a difference of opinion with a pair of handcuffs," Trowa explained. "It looks a lot worse than it is."

"And you're in a lot more pain than you're letting on." Quatre brushed an errant lock of hair from his forehead, his brow creasing into a frown. "Heero, how many guards did you pass on your way here?" 

"None." Heero gestured towards the corridor he'd just come from. "The stairs to the right are the only access to this mezzanine floor. Beyond the staircase is the old suit hanger; the walkway around the perimeter on this level doesn't appear to be particularly stable, and the only exit it provides is a long drop down to solid concrete."

"The stairs are our only option, then." Quatre shook his head. He tightened his grip on his weapon, cocking his head to the side as though listening for something. "It's disturbing that their security has been breached and they haven't sent someone to investigate…"

"Or to dish out Walker's perverted sense of justice," Trowa cut in dryly. "How far away are Duo and Wufei?" 

"Don't ask," Relena sighed. 

"You came without backup?" Quatre raised an eyebrow. "Heero, what the hell were you thinking?" 

__

He wasn't. And neither were you when you tried to save me_._ Trowa wisely didn't put his thoughts into words. "You have a shuttle?" he asked Heero.

"Yes. It's…" The echo of heavy boots pounding against concrete interrupted Heero's reply. The three Gundam pilots exchanged glances. Trowa manoeuvred Relena into the cell at their right and signalled for her to stay down in the corner. He took up a position in front of her, using his body to provide added protection while he covered Heero and Quatre. 

Drawing their guns, the other pilots crouched down behind the half-demolished wall, training their weapons on the staircase ahead as the footsteps grew closer.

******

[1] Yes, this is the 80s series starring Richard Dean Anderson. Interesting discussions followed the Gundam pilots' weekend viewing marathon as to the feasibility of making a bomb out of chewing gum and a rubber band. 

******

TBC


	5. Chapter Five

Thin Red Line (5/7)

by Anne Olsen

Rating: This fic has been rated in accordance with the approved TTFF rating system. OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling grammar etc) – PG – action, drama, angst, romance.

Author's notes: This story is part of the 'Triunity' canon based arc, which is a joint project with my partner in crime, Sakura Rose. For further information please visit the series archive at 

We also wish to apologise for the delay between this chapter and the previous one. Sakura has had MAJOR computer hassles, and was without access for several months. However, now we are back on track, the final few chapters should be finished shortly. 

The writing soundtrack for TRL is 'Thin Red Line' by Glass Tiger.

Pairings: 3x4, 1xR, 2x5.

Summary: The shuttle transporting Relena, Quatre and Trowa to a political conference is hijacked in an endeavour to reveal the identity, and exact revenge, on a specific Gundam pilot. But it's five years after the Eve Wars, and people change. Or did they always have a predilection for attempting stupidly heroic things in the name of love and friendship?

Thanks: To Sakura for many hours of plottage, conversations, beta reading, the summary and the soundtrack and to Bast for beta reading, and encouraging the evil. 

Comments to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz

=============================================================

Chapter Five

From their position behind the remains of the half-demolished wall, Quatre exchanged several hand signals with Heero. It made sense for the two of them to lead the assault as there was no way of knowing how many opponents they'd be up against until it was too late. It hadn't taken long to slip back into 'Gundam pilot' mode; part of him wondered if they'd ever manage to leave that part of their life behind completely. 

The footsteps grew closer and the door at the top of the staircase began to open. 

__

/Why is it that bad guys only seem to travel in pairs?/ Quatre thought, his suspicions growing stronger with each passing moment. This was too easy. Surely whoever was behind this wouldn't be stupid enough to allow them to escape after putting so much planning and effort into the operation? Their captors now knew that they were dealing with at least two Gundam pilots and should have tightened their security accordingly. 

Recognising the man on the right, Quatre signalled that he would take care of him. Heero could take out the one on the left. Together they vaulted over the wall they'd been using as cover. 

Smythe blocked Quatre's first blow with his arm. Seizing the arm and twisting it to throw Smythe off balance, Quatre punched him in the stomach with his left fist. "This is for holding a gun on my husband," he hissed. His opponent grunted and attempted to take a step backwards. Reaching out to grab a fist full of hair, Quatre regretted that the guns they'd confiscated hadn't been equipped with silencers. His knee followed the path of his fist and Smythe slid to the floor with a cry of pain. 

"Ready to move?" Heero asked, bending over the prone form of his own victim. 

"Almost," Quatre replied. Smythe groaned and clutched his stomach.

"Allow me," Trowa stepped past Quatre to give Smythe a swift kick in the balls. "That's for breaking the chain when you removed Quatre's wedding band." He and Quatre exchanged a satisfied smirk. 

"Was that really necessary?" Heero glanced between them. Quatre answered him by delivering a blow to the back of Smythe's head to send him into unconsciousness. 

"Heero," Relena warned, coming to stand beside her fianceé. "Not now. I'll explain later." 

"Where's your shuttle, Heero?" Quatre asked, before heading towards the staircase, the others on his heels. He paused at the top of the stairs and peered down into the dim light. While the stairwell appeared to be clear, there was still something…

"Behind the old silo," Heero answered. 

"Cat?" 

"I can feel something, but I'm not sure…" Quatre shook his head, frowning in response to Trowa's question. If his empathy was more focused he'd be able to pinpoint the source of his growing unease. "Forget it," he said. "We don't have the luxury of hesitation and this is the only way off this floor." 

"We're too easy a target while we're inside the building." Heero pushed past Quatre to examine the half darkness in front of them. "The hangar is a much better option than this stairwell. It's not as stable as this section of the building but we can use the rubble for cover."

"This stairwell is too enclosed for my liking," Quatre agreed. "We need to get through it quickly or we'll be caught like rats in a trap." 

"Cat, if you take point," Trowa suggested, "Relena can follow Heero. I'll cover the rear." 

"Sounds good to me." It would be safer for Relena to have one of them on either side of her. Quatre ignored the shiver crawling up his spine and concentrated on the task at hand. He could feel Trowa projecting a calmness that none of them was feeling; Quatre gave his husband a look of thanks and gripped his gun tighter in an attempt to distract himself from his growing unease. 

According to what Heero had told them there were two possible exits. The door to the right of the stairs led directly to the outside, but to reach it they'd have to pass an access corridor similar to the one leading to the cellblock on the floor above. It was also likely that their enemy would be using it as cover and they'd be walking straight into a trap. 

They made their way down to the next level cautiously, Heero covering Quatre as he paused at each landing to survey the area ahead. After Heero had signalled it was safe to proceed, Relena joined them at the bottom of the stairs. Trowa followed her after double checking it was still clear behind them. All four exchanged grim smiles. 

Taking a protective stance as they moved into the corridor itself, Quatre and Heero surveyed the surrounding area while Trowa and Relena covered them from the door of the stairwell. Relena was a crack shot; the time Heero had insisted she spend on the firing range had fine-tuned her already existing skill. The door leading into the hangar to Quatre's left seemed the better alternative. They'd be able to see their opponents coming, but unfortunately, until they could reach whatever cover the interior of the hangar offered, that too would work against them. 

Trowa and Relena moved out of the confines of the doorframe, Trowa keeping Relena behind him as he took up a position to Quatre's left. Heero stepped back to stand next to her, completing the protective circle of Gundam pilots. 

Neither the sound of multiple guns cocking, nor the group of men stepping out of the side corridor, was a surprise. Shooting their way out wasn't an option; nor was retreating back up the stairs. Besides, even if they did make it back up to the first floor, there was nowhere to go from there. 

"Leaving us so soon, Mr Winner?" Davis stepped to the front of the group of heavily armed men, and smirked after he glimpsed the makeshift bandage on Trowa's hand. "I'm not sure why you bothered dressing your husband's injury. He won't be around long enough to warrant the effort." 

"Go to hell," Quatre muttered under his breath, fighting the urge to wipe the smug smile off Davis' face then and there. The bastard had threatened his friends and tortured the man he loved; Quatre would make sure he regretted everything he'd done to Trowa. /_Everything._/

"The stories regarding your skills of diplomacy appear to have been embellished somewhat." Davis waved a hand towards Heero. "Why, you haven't even bothered to introduce us to your friend." 

"Probably because you won't be standing /_long enough/_ to warrant the effort," Heero glared at Davis, returning the other man's words with interest. 

"Testy, testy, Mr Yuy." Davis tsked tsked. "I expected something more from Ms Darlian-Peacecraft's head of security." He raised an eyebrow. "Or could it be that we've snared ourselves yet another Gundam pilot?" 

Placing one hand casually behind his back, Quatre gave Heero the sign for retreat, knowing he would find a way to communicate their intentions to Relena. He and Trowa exchanged a glance, and then began edging towards the hanger, Davis and his men following with an amused smirk. 

/We're being herded like sheep,/ Quatre realised. Had the initial trap only been for one Gundam pilot, or an attempt to capture them all? 

Reaching the hangar, the three Gundam pilots scanned their new surroundings warily. There were four doors, one on each wall. Davis and his five cohorts were now positioned in front of the one through which they'd entered. 

The sound of boots pounded against the floor and armed men entered the hangar from each of their three possible escape routes. The precise ground troop formation screamed military background. Ex Oz, or Alliance? Whatever these soldiers were, it didn't matter. He and his friends were screwed. 

"I suggest you lower your weapons before someone else gets hurt. You're completely surrounded and outnumbered." Davis gave Relena a smile. "Although it's kind of you to steal a weapon for her, the idea of a pacifist carrying a gun disturbs me somewhat." Heero glared at him and took a step closer. "After all," Davis continued, "we wouldn't want the lady to get upset over unnecessary bloodshed." 

"The lady is already upset," Relena told Davis, shifting her gun to aim it directly at him. "I've been kidnapped, drugged, my friends have been threatened…"

"Relena," Quatre could feel the anger coming off her in waves. A restraining calmness caressed his consciousness through his and Trowa's shared empathic link but he knew that Trowa wanted to give these arseholes what they deserved just as much as he did. 

"It's okay, Quatre." Relena pursed her lips into a thin line, and returned her attention to Davis. "I'm proud to be associated with the Gundam pilots." 

"My fight isn't with you," Mrs Walker spoke from the entrance of the hanger before walking over to join Davis. "Give the whole pacifist routine a rest, Ms Darlian-Peacecraft. I've heard enough of that rubbish from your friend Mr Winner to last me a lifetime." She snorted. "I wonder how the other delegates at your precious peace conference would react to the news that one of their leaders is none other than a Gundam pilot." 

"The same way they'd react to the news that I'm marrying one, I expect." Relena's eyes flashed. "One thing my friends have taught me is that there comes a time when you have to fight to protect those you love. I will not allow you to kill Trowa in some sick attempt to lay your husband's ghost to rest. The only person he's haunting is you – let it go, Annabelle. Let him go." Her expression softened. "Let them both go." 

"I want to." Mrs Walker's voice rose in pitch; there was an edge of hysteria in it. "Don't you think I've tried? I lost everything - my husband, my baby - my future. Our future. Why should that murdering bastard be allowed to be happy?" She let out a sob before jabbing an accusing finger towards Quatre. "I'm only taking what /_you/_ took from me. I'm only taking what I'm owed." 

"Quatre owes you squat, lady." A familiar voice sounded from the shadows to her right. "Hey guys, forget to invite us to the party?" 

******

Deciding to investigate the looped footage first, Wufei and Duo crossed the corridor between the communications room and the old cellblock. It wasn't a surprise to find that the door to the empty cell facing the camera was open. 

"There's only enough rope here to restrain one person." Wufei ran his hand over the ropes left strewn on the only chair in the room. He examined them closely while Duo kept watch by the door, gun in one hand, the other hovering by the McGyver on his belt. "It's been cut either by a sharp knife, or a McGyver, if Heero's responsible."

Duo nodded. "If this Walker woman's grudge is against Gundam pilots, would she harm Rel?" He shrugged. "Depending on how nuts she is, finding out about Relena's pregnancy could be enough to send her further over the edge." 

"Whoever was here has moved on," Wufei frowned as he stated the obvious. 

"It's too damn quiet in here. You'd think for an operation this size, the place would be crawling with bad guys." Duo pointed to the ropes Wufei was holding. "Why go to all this trouble, but not guard the room? I don't like this, Fei." 

"Neither do…" 

Both men froze at the sound of approaching troops. After a few moments the footsteps stopped. Motioning Wufei to stay where he was, Duo peered through the open door. Several armed men were stationed at the end of the corridor. They were waiting for someone or something. 

One man led the others out of their hiding place as they stepped into the adjacent corridor, their guns coming to bear on their target as one. Duo snorted. Bad guy synchronisation - just what they needed to finish off a perfect day. 

Leaving the cell, the two Gundam pilots crept down the corridor toward the entrance of the cellblock in order to get a better view of the action. 

"Leaving us so soon, Mr Winner?" Was this show of force just for Quatre's benefit? Did they know he was a Gundam pilot? "I'm not sure why you bothered dressing your husband's injury. He won't be around long enough to warrant the effort." 

__

/Injury? What injury?/ Duo edged further forward. It was difficult to make out Quatre's reply, but it didn't take a genius to work it out. If these bastards had harmed Trowa, he didn't think much of their chances of survival once Quatre got hold of them. 

Keeping out of sight, Duo dropped into a crouch and peered cautiously into the main corridor. /_Damn it, Heero, why couldn't you have waited for backup?/ _

Under different circumstances it would have been difficult not to laugh. The two groups were facing each other in a classic Mexican stand-off – neither seemed prepared to surrender and lay down their weapons. Quatre's eyes were narrowed; his upper body glistened in sweat; the dust and dirt covering his pale skin giving the illusion of…Hang on, back up. Where the hell was his shirt? 

Duo shifted his attention to Trowa. Noticing the dressing on Trowa's hand, and the makeshift sling, the fate of Quatre's upper garments became clear. /_Way to go with the field dressing_./ Duo frowned at the dried bloodstains on the white fabric and watched Trowa carefully. He wasn't giving much away but from the way he was favouring his injured limb, Duo was in no doubt that his friend was in a lot of pain. No wonder Quatre was pissed. 

The man who had spoken before waved a hand in Heero's direction. "The stories regarding your skills of diplomacy appear to have been embellished somewhat." Did this idiot have a death wish or was stupidity something that came naturally to him? "Why, you haven't even bothered to introduce us to your friend." 

"Probably because you won't be standing /_long enough/_ to warrant the effort." Even from this distance Duo could make out the infamous Heero Yuy glare. 

"Testy, testy, Mr Yuy." The man tsked tsked. "I expected something more from Ms Darlian-Peacecraft's head of security." 

Yes, but Heero was much more than just her head of security. He was her fiancee and the father of her child. Keeping a firm grip on his gun, Duo shuffled forward still further in an attempt to reassure himself that Relena was okay. It was difficult to see her clearly from his present position because the other pilots had carefully arranged themselves around her in a protective semi-circle. She seemed unharmed, and the gun in her hands reinforced what he already knew – that she was one brave lady who could stand her ground with the best of them. The guys had been through this scenario several times, and while Relena hadn't exactly sat back on her ass during the war, she still didn't have the reflexes or battle experience of a Gundam pilot. 

A ray of sunlight illuminated the group briefly from behind, and then was gone. Duo craned his neck, cursed under his breath in frustration, but didn't dare move any closer. It wouldn't do to give away his and Wufei's plans to gate-crash this party just yet. 

"Or could it be that we've snared ourselves yet another Gundam pilot?" /_Another/ _Gundam pilot? It was phrased as a question but Duo was in no doubt that the man already knew the answer. Had this set up been intended merely as a thank you to the pilots who had been at Corsica or was the kidnapping bait to lure all of them here? 

"How many?" Wufei mouthed, after Duo turned in response to the hand on his shoulder. 

Duo held up six fingers. He had a nasty feeling they'd soon be joined by more. At least he and Wufei still had the element of surprise on their side. Or did they?

It appeared as though he wasn't the only one smelling a rat. Quatre and Trowa exchanged a glance, and Heero's eyes dropped for an instant to the small of Quatre's back. Slowly they, and Relena, began moving towards the open double doors behind them. It was a smart move. Even if the hangar lacked substantial cover, it would have been difficult to mount any sort of defence within the confines of their present surroundings. 

Retreating discreetly hadn't been an option so it wasn't a surprise when Idiot Guy and his merry men followed like sheep to the slaughter. Unfortunately following right behind them, once Quatre and the others were safely inside, was the sound of boots against concrete signifying the arrival of still more ground troops. These people were thorough, he'd give them that, although they appeared to have missed the lesson on the Bad Guy 101 course entitled 'overkill'. Duo snorted. It took more than this to take down five Gundam pilots. 

"I suggest you lower your weapons before someone else gets hurt. You're completely surrounded and outnumbered." Hats off to Idiot Guy for stating the obvious. It was a shame that he didn't appear to have a clue that he was the one about to get hurt. 

Damn, not being able to see what was happening was annoying the crap out of him. He needed to know the odds against them in order to work out the best plan of attack. Turning to Wufei, he gestured that it was time to move from their current position, and silently made his way to the base of the empty stairwell. 

After joining him, Wufei placed one finger against Duo's lips to prevent him speaking, and used his free hand to gesture towards the entrance of the building. /_Someone's coming/_, he signalled silently. Duo nodded his understanding and together they took refuge in the shadows of the stairwell where, weapons poised, they waited. The auburn haired woman walked straight past them, intent on reaching her destination. This had to be Walker arriving just in time for the kill. 

"It's okay, Quatre," Relena's voice could be clearly heard through the open door. "I'm proud to be associated with the Gundam pilots."

"My fight isn't with you. Give the whole pacifist routine a rest, Ms Darlian-Peacecraft. I've heard enough of that rubbish from your friend Mr Winner to last me a lifetime." Pausing after giving Relena her valuable opinion, the woman didn't notice that the door to the hangar was still open as she crossed the floor to join Idiot Guy. "I wonder how the other delegates at your precious peace conference would react to the news that one of their leaders is no other than a Gundam pilot."

"The same way they'd react to the news that I'm marrying one, I expect," Relena snapped. Bringing up the whole peace conference/pacifist/Gundam pilot connection had not been a smart move on Walker's part. "One thing my friends have taught me is that there comes a time when you have to fight to protect those you love." 

Relena's speech provided the distraction they needed. Creeping out of the stairwell, and using the doors as cover, Duo and Wufei surveyed the inside of the hangar. Their friends were still in the defensive formation they'd used in the corridor. Surrounding them and blocking the other exits were three groups of five soldiers. Duo nodded to Wufei and together they slipped unseen into the hangar. Fifteen, plus those directly in front of them - no problem. 

"I will not allow you to kill Trowa in some sick attempt to lay your husband's ghost to rest," Relena continued. It was a waste of time arguing with a hysterical woman, but she seemed determined to try. "The only person he's haunting is you – let it go, Annabelle. Let him go." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Let them both go." 

"I want to," Walker sighed. "Don't you think I've tried? I lost everything - my husband, my baby - my future. Our future. Why should that murdering bastard be allowed to be happy?" Walker pointed at Quatre. "I'm only taking what /_you/_ took from me," she sobbed, "I'm only taking what I'm owed."

__

/Murdering bastard?/ Duo ignored the warning glare from Wufei. Quatre had enough scars from the war without this lunatic laying another guilt trip on him. Stuff the element of surprise; there was no way he'd allow this crap to continue. Wufei slipped past him to sneak into position behind the group of soldiers to their left. At present all eyes were trained on their prospective prey – that was about to change. 

"Quatre owes you squat, lady." It was time to liven things up. "Hey guys," Duo added in a more cheerful tone, "forget to invite us to the party?" 

Three pairs of eyes turned in Heero's direction - it seemed as though Duo wasn't the only one who had commented on his Lone Ranger attempt. Heero ignored them, and instead stepped backwards, using the action to twist his body into a hundred and eighty-degree turn. Hitting the man nearest to him in the jaw, Heero shot Duo a glare. "You're slipping. I expected you here sooner." he grunted. 

"Next time, leave clearer instructions," Duo chastised, moving forward to introduce one of the bad guys to his fist. "Nice abs, Cat, but you didn't have to take your shirt off just for me." The twin glares from Trowa and Wufei were an added bonus. 

After tucking his gun into his waistband, Quatre took a step towards Idiot Guy. "You," he hissed," kidnapped one of my closest friends, tortured my husband and then…" Judging by the murderous look in Quatre's eye, this was the person responsible for Trowa's injury. "And, then /_Mr/_ Davis, you convinced her," Quatre nodded towards Walker, "that he was partially responsible for her husband's death." 

Deciding that Quatre had everything under control – and that it wouldn't be a wise move to get between him and Davis – Duo focused on the group of men approaching from his right. It didn't take a genius to figure out their intentions; Quatre was an immediate threat to one of their own. 

Duo launched himself at the first man, hitting him in the gut. Ducking, Duo blocked the answering blow, using the momentum to roll and flip his opponent over his shoulder. These men had been well trained, but they were still no match for someone who had learnt how to fight on the streets of L2. "Naughty, naughty," he chastised. "Threatening Shinigami's friends is a big no no. Aren't they teaching bad guys anything these days?"

Watching Duo's attack, the other soldiers finally lost their mannequin mentality and launched an offensive. What the hell had they been waiting for? A green light from their less than brilliant leader? Well they were out of luck in that direction. Said leader had enough problems of his own in the shape of one extremely pissed off Quatre Winner. 

Trowa fired several shots in the direction of the section of walkway above Duo's head. "Cat, down!" Quatre dived towards the ground, taking Davis with him. Trowa fired again and the sharpshooter who'd had Quatre in his sights cursed and dropped his weapon. Relena gave Trowa a nod of approval, and using the rubble in the corner behind them as cover, began scanning the roof for more snipers. 

Ramming himself backwards, Heero used one man's body to give himself extra leverage before delivering a sharp kick with each leg to the two attacking from either side. Tucking his body into a roll, he launched himself at the remaining guy, both of them hitting the ground together. Heero shoved his knee against the soldier's chest to hold him down and punched him in the jaw. Glancing at the bodies at his feet, Heero snorted and moved onto the next group. He definitely hadn't lost his touch on this particular playing field. 

In the other corner, several men were approaching Wufei with the obvious intention of taking him out. Wufei smiled thinly, his feet apart, one fist clenched at his side and the other stretched out in front of him. One of his opponents grinned at his companions; Wufei took a step towards him, and the man brought his arm up to protect himself. Hitting his opponent's wrist with his right hand, Wufei moved to simultaneously hold down the man's upper arm and shoulder with his other, while bringing his left leg to deliver a blow to his lower body. The man went down with a grunt, and Wufei grabbed the next soldier in a chokehold around the throat before he had a chance to react. The third man began backing away slowly. 

Looking up a few minutes later, Duo noticed that Wufei had sent the last man flying across the room with a swift kick to land at Trowa's feet. 

"Home delivery, how thoughtful." Trowa brought the butt of his gun down on the man's head. 

Another soldier launched himself at Duo, and he sighed. What did it take to get the message through to these idiots? Grabbing his opponent's arm, Duo raised his elbow, twisted his hips, and delivered a sharp blow to the side of the man's face. 

/One more down, several to go/, Duo thought, grinning. He'd missed the adrenalin of a good fight and he doubted he was the only one. Heero laughed, and Duo shivered at the sound, although he couldn't blame his friend. There had to be a certain degree of satisfaction in taking out those responsible for kidnapping Relena. 

The sound of gunfire came from the corner where Relena had taken cover. A body landed at Duo's feet, hitting the ground with a thump after its journey from the walkway above. "Next time watch your back, Heero," Relena yelled, lowering her weapon. She glared at what was left of the unfortunate sucker who'd attempted to take out her fiancee. 

Propelling himself upwards, Trowa somersaulted in mid-air before landing behind two of the soldiers. His landing wasn't as balanced as usual. A well-aimed kick and one man went down before Trowa fired his weapon again in the direction of the walkway. 

The expected gunshot was replaced by a loud click. "I don't believe this!" Trowa dropped his empty gun. There was a glint of metal in his hand before his McGyver flew through the air to find its target. Another body toppled over the walkway to join its companion. 

Quatre delivered several blows to Davis' head, muttering something under his breath with each one. Holding him down with his knee on Davis' stomach, he pulled Davis up by his hair and then let him go with a thud. Davis groaned, and Quatre raised his fist for the final blow. 

"Cat!" Trowa launched himself at Walker, managing to deflect her aim just as she pulled the trigger. Quatre gave a gasp of pain and his arm dropped to his side, blood starting to flow from where he'd been hit. Grabbing the gun from Walker, Trowa threw it to Duo, who having dealt with the last of the bad guys, covered her while Trowa went to Quatre's aid. "Are you okay?" Trowa asked. 

"It's just a graze," Quatre reassured him, "though I'll need something to staunch the blood." He removed his hand from where he'd been pressing against the wound, and glanced around the room, before applying more pressure. 

"Nice to know we haven't lost our touch," Duo grinned. The hangar had gone eerily quiet. There were bodies sprawled over the floor; Heero and Relena were covering the few left standing. 

"Here, use this." Wufei took a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and carefully positioned it against on Quatre's wound, before tying it with a strip of fabric torn from the bottom of his shirt.

"Thanks," Quatre said, bending down to examine Davis. "I'll get it looked at when Trowa's hand is being dressed." Davis glared at him, but said nothing. Maybe it had dawned on the idiot that Walker's attempt to kill Quatre had saved him. "I haven't forgotten your part in this," Quatre muttered. "It will be a long time before you see the outside of a prison by the time I've finished with you." 

"Go to hell," Davis said. "My only regret is that we didn't succeed, but this is far from over." 

"That's where you are wrong," Duo said. "It /is/ over." He paused. "Quatre?"

His friend was frowning, his gaze focused on Davis. "What the hell?" Quatre ran one hand over his captive's ear, then yanked, ignoring Davis' cry of pain. In this palm was a tiny earpiece. "Who are you in contact with?" he demanded. 

An explosion rocked the hangar, and debris began falling from the walkway above. "Get down," Duo yelled, curling himself into a ball in order to protect himself from the bigger rocks and pieces of timber. 

After several minutes the shaking stopped. Duo shook himself free from the blanket of dirt and debris, ducking to avoid being hit by another shower of rocks. A low groan echoed through the hangar; the overhead beams were straining to keep the roof intact. 

The floor shook again and Relena lost her balance. Heero was at her side in an instant, helping her to her feet. 'Are you okay?' asked Duo.  


Clutching her stomach, she doubled over. "Heero! The baby!" she gasped. Her legs were wet with blood. 

"We have to get out of here NOW," Heero's voice was hoarse. He lifted Relena into his arms, and whispered something to her. She gave him a weak smile. 

Davis grabbed the earpiece from Quatre. "You were supposed to wait until I was clear," he screamed into it. "This wasn't part of the plan!" 

/_Oh shit_./ 

"This isn't my fault." Walker stared at Relena and started sobbing hysterically. "You have to believe me. I only wanted what was owed to me." 

The window to their right shattered, shards of glass exploding over the main doorway, just as one of the hand rails from the walkway above fell to the floor, narrowly missing them by inches. 

"Get out of here," Duo said. "I'll grab her and be right behind you." 

"Be careful," Wufei warned. He began ushering their prisoners towards the double doors at the end of the hangar. Trowa dragged Davis to his feet, and with Quatre, quickly followed their friends. Davis didn't argue and allowed himself to be led away. Idiot though he was, it seemed as though he valued his own survival over his need to shoot his mouth off and anger his only ticket out any further. 

Backing herself into a corner, Walker was sliding down the wall and burying her face in her hands. "We have to go," Duo tried to reason with her. "This whole place is going to blow. Come on, lady, you don't want to die in here." Even after what she'd done, he couldn't condone leaving her. 

She stared at him blankly and he realised his words weren't even registering. Ignoring her protests, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. 

A second explosion hit before they had even made it as far as the door. Dropping to the ground, Duo used his body to shelter her, as the building collapsed around them. /_I'm sorry, Fei_,/ he thought, and then everything went black. 

*****

End Chapter Five. 

TBC


	6. Chapter Six

Thin Red Line (6/7)

By Anne Olsen

Rating : This fic has been rated in accordance with the approved TTFF rating system. 

OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) – PG – Action, drama, angst, romance. 

Author's notes: This story is part of the 'Triunity' canon based arc, which is a joint project with my partner in crime, Sakura Rose. For further information please visit the series archive at 

The writing soundtrack for TRL is 'Thin Red Line' by Glass Tiger. 

Pairings: 3x4, 1xR, 2x5 

Summary: The shuttle transporting Relena, Quatre and Trowa to a political conference is hijacked in an endeavour to reveal the identity, and exact revenge, on a specific Gundam pilot. But it's five years after the Eve Wars, and people change. Or did they always have a predilection for attempting stupidly heroic things in the name of love and friendship? 

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the boys and Relena in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any broken bones or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction. 

Thanks: To Sakura for many hours of plottage conversations, beta reading, the summary and the soundtrack. To Bast for beta reading, encouraging the … evil, and suggesting wonderful bloody solutions to certain problems. And to Anon, Gina and Hex for their support, and input.   


Comments to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz 

=============================================================

Chapter Six

"Thank you, Doctor," said Quatre, wincing as he eased the Preventer issue jacket over his sore arm. Trowa gave her a nod of thanks. Although his hand still hurt like hell, the painkillers were finally beginning to take effect. 

Doctor Pike smiled at both of them as she collected her equipment. "Take as much time as you need before you brave the vultures outside." Une had managed to clear their shuttle to land directly on the hospital emergency helipad; when they had arrived, there had been members of the press waiting for them. Quatre had promised their friends that he and Trowa would deal with them once their injuries had been seen to. Heero and Wufei had enough to worry about.

"We could always slip out the back way," Trowa suggested after she'd left. All he wanted to do was to return home to spend some quality time with Quatre. Once they were sure that Relena and Duo were all right; the press could go to hell. 

Quatre shook his head. "No, we need to do this." He slipped one hand into the pocket of the borrowed jacket; when he removed it their wedding bands were in his palm. "I'm tired of hiding our relationship…"

"Where did you find them?" Trowa held out his left hand and Quatre slid the ring on his finger, as he'd done a year ago when they'd married. "I thought…"

"I…they were in her pocket," Quatre gave his own ring to Trowa, and held out his ring finger to allow Trowa to do the same. "She's dead, Trowa. Her whole family is dead and I'm responsible." He pulled away his hand and examined the ring, twirling it around on his finger. 

"We're /all/ responsible." Trowa took Quatre's chin in his hand and forced him to look up. "Walker made her own choices; no one forced her to take revenge into her own hands. Cat, the war is over – it's not good to keep regretting the past."

"I don't regret all of it," Quatre replied, pulling free of Trowa's grasp. "I just…sometimes it seems as though we'll never be free of what we did."

"I'm not sure we're meant to be free," Trowa shook his head. "And if we don't remember, who will? Wars are often glorified into something romantic - it's important to keep the facts alive for the next generation. White washing is dangerous." He paused. "But so is allowing the guilt to prevent us from moving on. We all did what we had to at the time; it's impossible to win a war without casualties, and that's what she was, Quatre. A casualty."

"An innocent," Quatre whispered. He put one finger on Trowa's lips to prevent him speaking further. "No, I know she wasn't an innocent; when she hijacked our shuttle, she gave up that right. But I can't help thinking about her unborn child; that child had its future ripped away before it had even had a chance to…"

After removing Quatre's finger from his lips, Trowa kissed him on the forehead. "There's no way of knowing whether she would have carried the child to term even if her husband hadn't died." He placed his good hand over Quatre's. "It's time to move forward and leave the past where it belongs. We know the demons of past mistakes exist, but we can't live on regrets." 

"Trowa?" 

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for what I said before," Quatre blushed. "I know I was under the influence of whatever that drug was they gave you, but I shouldn't have told you to 'fuck off'."

Trowa managed a sheepish half smile. "You were right. What I said was completely out of line; I still can't believe I…" Losing control in public was something he rarely did; he wasn't proud of it. "When they were trying to extract the information, all I could think about was what would happen to you if the truth came out. Once I realised that we were at Corsica, I knew you were the pilot they were looking for, and that it wasn't me they wanted…" Trowa paused, and squeezed Quatre's hand. He'd come so close to losing Quatre; memories of his vigil at a bedside five years ago, plus what he'd felt the first time they'd met, had overlapped to form a twisted jigsaw he couldn't break free from. He'd focused on Quatre and reached out for him through their empathic link in an effort to stay in control. As long as Quatre remained unharmed, he'd had the hope that together they would be able to survive. 

"I don't need protecting," Quatre said softly. "I'm perfectly able of taking the fall for my own actions."

"To say nothing of the guilt trip," Trowa reminded him. 

"Thank you. I'm well aware of that," Quatre poked out his tongue. "We all have our failings; you still need to learn not to be so over-protective."

"Pot meet kettle," said Trowa, dryly. He reached over to help Quatre zip up his jacket; they hadn't had the chance to replace Quatre's shirt as yet and Trowa wasn't keen for pictures of his husband's unclothed chest to make the front page. "Are you sure you want to do this?" The noise outside the door was growing louder; if they were going to confront the press it would be better to get it over with. 

"I should have done this a year ago," Quatre replied. "No secrets. We have a better chance of controlling the situation if the information comes from us, rather than from rumours." 

"Definitely," Trowa agreed. He pulled Quatre into an awkward embrace and kissed him; it was awkward to manoeuvre around his hand and Quatre's injury. "We're in this together, Cat."

Quatre smirked. "We make a great pair don't we? Matching injuries - your right hand, my left arm." He sighed dramatically. "I'm not sure I'll be able to cope with showering on my own tonight; it's difficult to reach all those important places."

"If you ask nicely, I'm sure I could find someone to help you, but at a price of course."

A blond eyebrow rose. "Negotiating is something I'm rather practiced at." 

"You drive a hard bargain, Mr Winner."

"Practice makes perfect." Quatre paused, slipping his right hand into Trowa's left. "Ready?" he asked.

"No, but let's get this over with," Trowa nodded. Using his shoulder to push open the door, he walked through, Quatre at his side. 

The press converged as a gestalt - vultures smelling blood and moving in for the kill. Trowa started to take a step back, then stopped. Quatre turned to him and smiled; their hands were still linked, it would be interesting to see how long it took someone to notice. 

"Mr Winner, was your kidnapping a ploy to destroy the peace talks?" The man edged forward, his microphone at the ready.

"Mr Winner, I have it on good authority that the Gundam pilots were involved. Do you have any comments?" Quatre and Trowa exchanged a glance. How had that information been leaked? Walker was dead, and everyone else involved was in custody. Everyone but whoever Davis had been in contact with through the earpiece Quatre had discovered.

"No secrets," Quatre mouthed. Trowa nodded. Giving their side of the story and confirming their part in the war would be far less detrimental in the long term. 

"Any comments, Mr Winner?" the reporter repeated. She glared at the man next to her who was attempting to shove her out of the way to get his own question in. 

Quatre opened his mouth to speak, but Trowa took a step forward instead. Walker had gone after /him/ in an attempt to find Quatre; he would answer the question. "The shuttle was hijacked because those responsible believed I might have information leading to the identity of a specific Gundam pilot." 

A hum of conversation filled the corridor. "Why you, Mr Barton? And I believe I asked Mr Winner the question." 

Quatre smiled at her and moved closer to her microphone. "Trowa has knowledge of the Gundam pilots," His smile turned into a smirk, "and enjoys a close relationship with one in particular." On some level Quatre was enjoying this, and Trowa didn't blame him. Quatre had been hassled several times during the past year about his love life and revenge was going to be sweet. 

"How close is close…exactly?" The reporter wasn't about to let the revelation phase her. "And were you aware of this before you hired him as your bodyguard, Mr Winner?"

"Oh very much aware," Quatre answered. Without loosening his grip on Trowa's hand, he brought his own up to his mouth and coughed. It would have been difficult to miss the gold band on Trowa's finger. Trowa would have smiled at the show Quatre was putting on, but for the sudden wave of pain. The medication the doctor had given him was effective, but he'd been on his feet for far too long, and his defences were low. "Trowa?" Quatre turned to him in concern, his gaze hardening as the reporter interrupted with another question. 

"How was Mr Barton injured?" She continued before waiting for the answer. "Is it serious? Were there any other injuries? I notice Ms Darlian-Peacecraft isn't with you." 

"Our abductor had lost family in a Gundam attack during the war," Quatre explained, ignoring her question about Relena, "and Trowa knew the identity of the pilot responsible." 

"Do you know the identity of the Gundam pilots, Mr Winner?" 

"Yes, I do." The hum of the crowd changed to a frantic twittering as reporters pushed against each other in an effort to get the next question in. 

"Do you know the identity of the pilot Mr Barton is close to?" The next question wasn't exactly unexpected. They might have agreed that it was no longer the time for secrets, but that didn't mean Quatre wasn't going to make the reporters work for the information. 

"Yes." Quatre raised his left hand as though about to stop her next question. "I've known him all my life." Trowa raised an eyebrow at that comment and waited for someone to notice the matching ring on his husband's finger. 

"Mr Winner, is this why you've been reluctant to talk about your personal life to the press?" 

"Could you rephrase the question?" Quatre asked politely. "I wasn't sure whether you were referring to the fact that I'm a Gundam pilot or that Trowa and I have been married for over a year." Trowa had to admire Quatre for his restraint; the only hint as to how annoyed the question had made him was the slight stiffening of his back, and the way he was shifting his weight onto to balls of his feet and back again. "And my personal life is really none of your concern. It doesn't effect the running of Winner Enterprises or reflect on the position I'm taking in the upcoming peace talks." 

"Oh your personal life is very much our concern, Mr Winner. And I think you know it is. Otherwise why would you hide such important information?"

Quatre's voice was cold. "I'm going to presume that you are referring to the fact that I've only just announced that I'm a Gundam pilot, and not that Trowa and I are married. The reason we haven't revealed that information before now is because we value our privacy."

"Are you afraid of how people will react to the head of Winner Enterprises being involved in a homosexual relationship?" The woman didn't seem to realise that she was treading on dangerous ground. "After all, Mr Winner, you have standards to live up to…with your position…"

"I very much hope you aren't insinuating what you appear to be, Ms…?" Quatre's eyes glinted dangerously, and he leaned over and gave Trowa a kiss. Trowa could feel all eyes watching them both carefully and he wondered, not for the first time, how Quatre survived living under the scrutiny of the press. "I'm sorry," Quatre whispered as their lips brushed. Trowa replied by kissing him firmly back. He'd married Quatre knowing /who/ he was; they were in this together, and together they could deal with whatever was thrown at them. 

There was a sudden silence. Quatre's declaration of exactly what he'd thought of the reporter's question had been stated very effectively. 

Breaking the kiss, and drawing strength from Quatre's presence, Trowa took a deep breath. "Quatre and I were /both/ Gundam pilots during the war. His full name and pilot designation is engraved on my wedding band as is mine on his." He held up his left hand and spoke clearly. "Quatre Raberba Winner. Pilot 04."

Quatre smiled at him, and placed his own hand over his husband's. "Trowa Barton Winner," he said. "Pilot 03."

******

Relena was pale, but the look in her eyes was one of determination. Heero was proud of her.

There hadn't been any other bleeding apart from the initial show. Heero had to believe that this was a good sign. Pregnancy was a subject outside his extensive field of knowledge, and recent events had not left time to rectify that lack. If…when, he corrected, the doctor confirmed that Relena and their baby were not seriously injured, Heero decided that he would track down all the information available and familiarise himself with any possible future scenarios. 

"You baby is going to be just fine, Ms Darlian-Peacecraft." Doctor Archer smiled as he reassured her. 

"What was the cause of the bleeding?" 

Archer met Heero's glare with one of his own. "And your relationship to my patient is?" Heero was impressed by the man's determination not to break doctor/patient confidentiality. 

After exchanging a glance with Heero, Relena nodded. Although they had been going to wait until after the press conference to announce their engagement and Relena's pregnancy, it now seemed foolish to do so. "Heero is the baby's father" she explained, "and my fiancee." 

His eyes lingering on their clasped hands, Archer gave Heero a nod. "The bleeding is a result of a condition known as partial placenta previa." 

"Which is?" Heero asked, not seeing the point in wasting time on social niceties. 

"Partial placenta previa," Archer continued, "is used to describe a low placenta. It's nothing to worry about; the placenta often moves up and corrects itself as the pregnancy continues. A little piece overlaps the cervix, and this, with strain, can cause the bleeding you experienced. Have you been overexerting your self over the past few days?" He coughed. "Any more than usual, I mean? I realise that in your position…"

"You could say that," said Heero dryly. It was fortunate for Relena's kidnappers that they were in custody. He did regret that whoever was behind this was still free, but he doubted that they would be for much longer. At present, Heero's place was with Relena but that would not stop justice from being served.

"I didn't have a choice," Relena said quietly. "Is there anything I should do to further ensure the safety of our baby?"

The doctor nodded. "I'm going to prescribe complete bed rest for the next month. You're approximately eight weeks into the pregnancy: most miscarriages usually take place now or at eleven weeks." He continued hurriedly, "I don't think your child is in danger, but after what you've been through I'd prefer to play it safe until you're past the first trimester."

"The peace talks are going to have to survive without you," Heero told her. "Quatre can speak for both of you." He doubted that Trowa would be leaving Quatre's side anytime soon. Although Trowa disliked the political arena, he would provide Quatre with the support he required. 

"I'd also like to do an ultra sound," Archer said, pulling over a trolley with some electronic equipment and small monitor. "Seeing your baby will help to put your mind at ease." 

"But shouldn't I drink several glasses of water first?" Relena asked.

"A full bladder is preferable, yes," Archer explained, "as it helps to improve the view of the uterus, but it's not always necessary." He began squeezing gel onto the flat oval pad of the transducer. "This might be a bit cold," the doctor apologised. "Sound waves travel through liquid so this helps us to obtain a better picture." 

Moving the transducer over Relena's stomach, the doctor smiled and pointed to the screen. "There," he said, pointing to a shape which looked more like a lima bean than a baby, "that's him…or her."

"It's so tiny," Heero spoke aloud before he realised that he had. Even though he'd acknowledged consciously that he and Relena were going to be parents, on some level it still hadn't seemed real. He peered more closely; the sonogram wasn't as clear as he had expected but there was no mistaking the regular pulsating of the baby's heartbeat.

"A nice regular 150 beats per minute," Archer remarked. 

"He's beautiful," Relena breathed.  
  
"He?" Heero asked. It was difficult to make out much besides the heartbeat; there was no way of ascertaining the sex of their child. He doubted those organs were even formed yet.

Relena smiled. "I have a feeling it's a boy," she said. "I know it's too early to tell yet, and feelings have been known to be wrong, but…"

"It's better than referring to our child as 'it'," Heero agreed. 

"Would you like some time alone?" Archer asked. "I can leave this hooked up while I'm gone unless you'd prefer me to…"

"Leave it," Heero said. Relena glanced at him and he added the word "please." They hadn't had a proper chance to talk since discovering Relena was pregnant, and it was only a matter of time before their friends came hunting for them. Heero hoped Duo was all right; the look on Wufei's face as he'd realised his lover was trapped beneath the rubble was one Heero would never forget. They'd managed to free both Duo and Walker; the woman had died on the way to the hospital and Duo had yet to regain consciousness. 

He waited until Archer had left the room before speaking again. "If something had happened to either you or the baby, I would have held myself responsible."

Relena stared at him. "Why? None of this was your fault. Life happens, Heero." She glanced at the screen and the picture of the tiny life within her. "I'm in love with you; you're the father of this baby, and the kidnappers had no idea we were together when they hijacked the shuttle. They wanted Trowa in order to find pilot 04, remember?"

"They were after a Gundam pilot; I'm a Gundam pilot."

"They didn't know that," Relena said reasonably. "My position is very high profile; assassins and kidnappers are more likely to target me than you."

"Thank you," Heero frowned, "that reminder has done a lot to put my mind at ease."

"I didn't say it for that reason," Relena gave an exasperated sigh. She patted the bed next to her. "Come here, Heero." He hesitated and she rolled her eyes. "I won't break, you know. I think surviving the past twenty four hours has proven that rather well."

Heero sighed. "I know you are more than capable of looking after yourself, but…" He pointed to the screen. "We have our child to worry about now. What if that bleeding had been more serious? I thought…" Heero swallowed; it was difficult to find the right words. He was aware that his train of thoughts didn't necessarily make sense, but it didn't mean they were any less persistent. 

"I thought I was going to lose you…both of you." Heero sat down on the bed, and put his arms around her, before kissing her gently. "You've changed my life, Relena, made me realise how much it has to offer. Before, when I first piloted Wing, my only focus was completing my mission; it was the only thing I could offer of any importance." He took a breath. "Now I know that I can make a difference, that together we can make a difference. In a war there's no room for fear; it can jeopardise a mission before it even starts, but I was scared…you were in danger and from something out of my control." 

"It's okay, Heero." Relena returned the kiss and embraced him. "We can't always control everything in life – admitting that is the first step in taking control back over what we can. I was scared too, but I knew whatever happened we'd get through it together." She placed his hand on her stomach. "We have a future together, our family is growing. We have to keep sight of that; it's something to hang onto when things do get difficult." Relena smiled ruefully. "I know I was somewhat naïve when I was younger, but the war made me realise that it's often necessary to fight for what's important." 

"Yes, it is," Heero agreed. 

There was a knock at the door, and Quatre poked his head in. "Is it okay if we come in? We're just on our way to check on Duo, and wanted to see if…" His voice trailed off.

"Come in, please," Relena said. "And everything is fine." She smiled at Heero. "We're all fine." 

Quatre crossed the room to her bedside and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He noticed the monitor and his eyes widened. "Is that the baby?" he asked. 

"There's only one, right?" Trowa leaned over Quatre's shoulder for a closer look. Heero remembered the story of Cathy's reaction when she'd discovered she was having twins. The initial shock had banished her severe morning sickness for several days. 

"Yes, that's the baby," Heero answered. He examined the monitor again carefully. "And yes there's only one." 

"We would have been here sooner, but the evil press were waiting outside the treatment room," Quatre apologised. 

Giving a mock shudder, Trowa rolled his eyes. "It's not something I'm keen to repeat anytime soon." His expression grew serious. "They knew that the shuttle hijacking was connected to the Gundam pilots."

"Did you confirm this?" Heero raised an eyebrow.

"It seemed…less damaging to give our side of the story," Quatre sighed. "They now know that Trowa and I are Gundam pilots, and that the hijacking was an attempt to locate me, but that's all." He paused. "The official story is that the person responsible lost family in an attack by Gundam 04. Mrs Walker and her family have been through enough; it's time to move on and let them rest in peace."

Noting that Quatre didn't include anyone else besides Walker in that statement, Heero nodded his approval. When things had quietened down, he was sure that they would be paying a visit to Davis, as just eagerly as he would be. 

"Have you heard anything more about Duo?" Relena asked.

Both men shook their heads before Quatre spoke. "I think I'd know if…" Quatre frowned, and Trowa placed his good hand on his husband's shoulder. 

"Heero," Relena nodded in the direction of the door. "Go with them; Wufei needs to know that we're there for him…and for Duo."

"Relena…" Heero wasn't sure that he should leave her; even though she was right about Wufei, and he wanted to check on Duo himself, his place was with his family.

"They're family too," Relena must have guessed what he was thinking. "I'll be fine, and I need to rest. Give Wufei," she hesitated, "and Duo my love, and my apologies for not being there." 

Heero leant over to give her a kiss. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he said before following Quatre and Trowa out of the room. 

Once they were out in the corridor, Quatre stopped and placed a hand on Heero's arm. "You should be very proud of her, Heero. She held her own during the fight against Davis and his men, despite her inexperience and pregnancy." 

"I am," Heero said. He took a step backwards in case Quatre decided to hug him. "And I wanted to…thank you for looking after her." 

"We looked after each other," Trowa replied, after exchanging a glance with Quatre. "We're family, Heero, all of us, and we always will be." 

******

"There's nothing much we can do but wait." The doctor paused. "You could try talking to him; that often helps too." 

"Thank you," Wufei said.

"If Mr Maxwell has a special someone in his life, it would help if that person touched him. Often touch and hearing are the first things to return, and knowing someone is with them helps bridge that gap between unconsciousness and waking." 

Wufei gave him a curt nod. "Yes he does," he said quietly. "And I will." 

After watching the man leave the room, Wufei pulled up a chair next to Duo's bedside and grasped his lover's hand with his own. "Don't leave, Duo," he whispered. "I can't lose you too."

A smell of flowers filled the room, but Wufei wasn't sure whether it was real or just a memory of another time he'd watched someone he cared about slip away from him. 

He'd lain Meiran in a field of flowers; she had been taken away from him just as he had realised how important she was to him. They could have had a future if she had survived…

Caressing Duo's fingers with his own, Wufei's thoughts drifted back to his wife. She would have approved of Duo; in many ways they were alike. Neither conforming when there was an alternative; both stubborn and fiercely protective of those they loved. 

While Duo was still alive, there was hope. The doctor had said that his heartbeat was strong and regular; the only equipment which they'd left hooked up to him had been the drip supplying him with the liquid and nutrients that he needed to sustain him for as long as it… 

"Aww, Fei, don't cry over me. I'm not worth it."

Duo's voice seemed so real that Wufei found himself checking to make sure that the still figure in the bed hadn't spoken. But no…Duo lay there as still as he'd been when he and Heero had dug him out of the rubble. 

After the building had collapsed, Wufei had heard someone scream – and then time had suddenly slowed. 

Duo was still inside. 

"I'm sorry," someone had said, but Wufei hadn't stopped to listen. He'd run, refusing to believe that Duo was gone, and had begun to dig a path through the rubble with his hands. They had fought a war and survived near suffocation on the moon. Duo couldn't be dead. Not now, not five years after the peace they'd worked so hard for was this close to reality. 

Duo had wanted to tell the world that they were together but Wufei had been more cautious. What people thought didn't worry him, but the fear of failing Duo somehow, of making that failure public, and what that would do to Duo, did. It was something he'd been too embarrassed…no… ashamed, to tell his lover. Although Wufei was determined to make things work between them, there was the doubt at the back of his mind that it wouldn't. Wufei despised weakness, but even more so in himself. 

But Duo loved him. 

Yet in some corner of his mind Wufei still couldn't understand why. He knew he wasn't the easiest of people to get along with, and that his temper, although more controlled now than when he'd been a teenager, was still rather more…explosive was the word Duo had used…than he'd prefer. 

Explosive. Wufei couldn't help but laugh bitterly, considering the events that had lead to this. 

Fate had smiled on them; Duo had been trapped under a fallen beam, but the beam had prevented any further injury, apart from the piece of timber that had struck him on the temple. Surely he wouldn't have been spared just so that Wufei could watch him die later. 

"I love you, Duo," he whispered. "Please come back to me." Wufei climbed onto the bed next to Duo and, placing his arms around his partner, kissed him gently on the lips. "I'm sorry for doubting us." He raised his eyes to the ceiling and pleaded with whoever might be listening. "It's not Duo's time yet – he has so much to offer the world." 

Why had it taken them so long to admit how they felt about each other? A year together wasn't long enough. "You give me the strength I need to keep going when things get bad," Wufei admitted. 

"Strength…" The voice in his head sounded a lot like Duo's. 

"You have an ability to find humour in any situation." Wufei paused, and stroked Duo's brow. "Even though I know you also use it to hide behind."

"No…I…"

"We all have our…" Wufei stopped. The voice he'd thought he'd heard earlier seemed to have taken on an argumentative tone. It also seemed rather croaky…"Duo…you're…" Wufei wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Duo was awake. He was awake and he was going to be all right. 

"Oomph," Duo groaned. "Fei, I love you and all, but could you tone it down? I have one hell of a headache." He frowned. "And why is there two of you? Not that I'm complaining but…." 

"I thought…" Wufei pondered moving, then decided not to. He pulled Duo into a rough embrace. "I though I'd lost you. Duo, I'm sorry…"

"Sorry?" Duo sounded puzzled. "What for?" He winced and groaned again. Wufei pulled out of the hug, and eased him back onto the pillow. "What for?" Duo repeated. 

"For doubting us, for not wanting you to tell people we were together." Wufei answered Duo's first question before he lost his nerve. 

"It's okay," Duo muttered under his breath. "You're not the only one who's scared about announcing stuff like that in public."

"I wasn't…" Wufei began. He smiled sheepishly. "Okay, maybe. But that stops now." He bent and kissed Duo soundly on the lips. "I love you, Duo Maxwell, and I don't care who knows it."

There was a cough at the door, and a young nurse entered. "Good to see you're awake, Mr Maxwell." She paused. "Would you like me to give you some time alone before informing the doctor?"

After pulling away from Duo, Wufei nodded. "Yes please…" He strained his eyes to read the name tag, remembering he'd removed his contacts earlier, and didn't have his reading glasses with him. 

"Amanda," the nurse supplied helpfully. "I'll be back later. If you want the doctor sooner or need anything, please use the call button." 

"Thank you," Wufei said. "We appreciate it." 

Squinting against the light, Duo watched her leave the room. He frowned before speaking. "What happened? Walker…I remember grabbing her and…" 

"There was a series of explosions after you went back for her." Wufei's voice shook. "You were both buried under the remains of the building; luckily a falling beam protected you from further injury. You've been unconscious since we pulled you out from under the rubble." 

"And Walker?"

Wufei shook his head. "She didn't make it." 

"Excuse me if I don't say I'm sorry," Duo didn't bother to look shamefaced. "Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have left to her die, but after what she did to our friends, it's no more than poetic justice."

Wufei had tried to find some sympathy for the woman, but hadn't been able to do so. Although her life had been ruined, it did not justify inflicting that loss onto others. 

"How are Rel and the guys?" Duo asked, pulling off the adhesive tape holding the needle from the drip in place. "And don't look at me like that. I'm awake now, I'll take my food and drink the usual way." 

"Just don't expect me to explain it to the doctor when he returns," Wufei snorted.

"I think I'm gonna puke." Wufei handed Duo a sick bag, and helped him into a sitting position as he dry heaved. "This sucks," Duo complained. "Someone stop the room spinning, I want to get off," he joked weakly, leaning back on the pillow.

"I haven't heard about Relena yet," Wufei changed the subject by answering Duo's earlier question, in an attempt to distract him. "I haven't left your side since you were brought in. Once the doctor has examined you, I'll go find Heero and the others."

"I hope she's going to be okay," Duo sighed. "Relena's one brave lady; she and Heero have been through enough." He grinned. "Though I'm still trying to imagine Heero as a dad; we'll just have to do the uncle thing and give him some helpful pointers."

Raising an eyebrow, Wufei decided to continue with the explanations rather than pursue that particular topic. "The first explosion, and the one you were caught in, were the first of several. The Preventers have been over what's left of the site, and the nearby buildings. They discovered the central control box rigged to the detonation devices on the ground floor of the old silo." The Preventer shuttle had arrived while they were still digging Duo out, and Une had radioed them with the initial report while they were on the way to the hospital. Once he and Duo had arrived in Corsica, they had informed Une of the situation and requested backup. 

"Time delayed?"

Wufei shook his head. "Manual. Whoever Davis was yelling at through that earpiece Quatre found was just waiting for the right moment. I doubt it was just Quatre he or she was after – this was a cleverly orchestrated plan. Walker might have thought she was in charge of the operation, but she was being played, in much the same way we were all lured to the ruins of Corsica."

"Round one to us," Duo smirked, before growing sombre. "You didn't catch them did you?"

"No." Wufei sighed. "And there's no doubt in my mind that they'll try again, considering the depth and determination that went into this operation." He placed his hand on the bed next to Duo's and Duo squeezed it. "But yes, we've won this round. Let's enjoy it while we can."

There was a tentative knock at the door. "It's all right, I'm decent," Duo called out. 

"Duo!" Quatre peered into the room before entering quickly, followed by Trowa and Heero. He embraced Duo first, then Wufei. "How are you feeling?" he asked Duo. 

"Like someone dropped a building on me." 

Trowa rolled his eyes. "I see the experience hasn't improved your sense of humour." He leaned back against the wall, placing his good hand around Quatre as his husband moved over to join him. The gold on his wedding band glinted in the last rays of the fading sunlight. 

"How's Relena?" asked Wufei, changing the subject before Duo could counter Trowa's comment with another bad joke. 

"Fine," Heero replied. 

"And?" prompted Quatre, breaking the silence following Heero's detailed explanation. 

"The baby's fine too," Heero continued after giving Quatre a glare. "Relena needs to rest for the next few months, but the doctor doesn't think they are in any danger. She sends her love – to both of you." 

"That's great news…Dad," Duo said. 

"We all need to watch our backs until we find the person behind this," Trowa warned them. "We've been lucky this time, but next time…"

"There won't be a next time," Heero said coldly. It had been a big mistake threatening Relena; Wufei knew that he would not allow it to happen again. 

"No taking risks though, Heero," Quatre reminded him. "You have a family to think of now."

"We all do," Wufei said, looking at Duo.

"Yes," agreed Trowa, tightening his grip on Quatre. "We do." 

"Even though the press only knows that you and Quatre are Gundam pilots," Heero told Trowa, "the person behind this would have to be an idiot not to have figured out that we all are."

"The person behind this /already/ knows," Wufei voiced the suspicions he'd told Duo earlier. "This whole exercise was aimed at all of us. I suspect that the shuttle hijacking was merely bait. Walker's so called revenge was only a front for whoever was working with Davis."

"There is never anything simple about revenge…or justice." Quatre said quietly. "We've always achieved our objectives working better as a team; I say we approach this mission in the same way."

"Mission?" Heero raised an eyebrow.

"Mission," repeated Quatre, firmly. 

"One for all and, all for one," contributed Duo. The other pilots glared at him and he shrugged. "Of course we could always take the guy down with a piece of chewing gum and a rubber band…"

If only it was that easy. They'd managed to escape this encounter; Wufei could only hope that they would be as lucky the next time.

And judging from the looks on his friends' faces, he knew there would definitely be a next time.

******

End of Chapter Six

TBC


	7. Epilogue

Thin Red Line (7/7)

by Anne Olsen

Rating : This fic has been rated in accordance with the approved TTFF rating system. 

OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) – PG – Action, drama, angst, romance. 

Author's notes: This story is part of the 'Triunity' canon based arc, which is a joint project with my partner in crime, Sakura Rose. For further information please visit the series archive at 

The writing soundtrack for TRL is 'Thin Red Line' by Glass Tiger. 

Pairings: 3x4, 1xR, 2x5 

Summary: The shuttle transporting Relena, Quatre and Trowa to a political conference is hijacked in an endeavour to reveal the identity, and exact revenge, on a specific Gundam pilot. But it's five years after the Eve Wars, and people change. Or did they always have a predilection for attempting stupidly heroic things in the name of love and friendship? 

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the boys and Relena in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any broken bones or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction. 

Thanks: To Sakura for many hours of plottage conversations, beta reading, the summary and the soundtrack. To Bast for beta reading, encouraging the … evil, and suggesting wonderful bloody solutions to certain problems. And to Anon, Gina and Hex for their support, and input. 

Comments to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz 

=========================

Epilogue 

~ Three months later ~

Relena pulled at her wedding dress, stared at herself in the mirror again, and sighed. "I look pregnant," she complained. 

"You /are/ pregnant," Milliardo commented, ducking when Noin whacked him over the head playfully. "Well she is." He glared at his wife. "And most people get married first, then have children. But I guess Heero Yuy doesn't believe in doing things the usual way." 

"You look beautiful, Relena, just ignore him." Noin reassured her. She returned her husband's glare. "Do I sense an overabundance of testosterone in the air? My mobile suit is bigger than your mobile suit. Just because your sister is marrying a Gundam pilot…"

"She's not just marrying a Gundam pilot," Milliardo protested. "She's marrying Heero!"

"Milliardo, please!" Relena was the only person who called him by that name. To everyone else he was Zechs Merquise. He was too ashamed of having blood on his hands to take on the Peacecraft name, he'd told her, but as far as she was concerned, he was still her brother. They all had blood on their hands, whether directly or indirectly. The war had seen to that. 

"I have every right to be concerned," Milliardo said. "I arrive back on Earth, only to find out that…" He counted off on his fingers. "One – my sister had been kidnapped, and no one had told me…"

"You were on Mars," Relena reminded him. "There was no way you could have returned in time to do anything, even if you'd known. We decided that it was better not to worry you."

"We?" Milliardo raised an eyebrow. "On second thought, don't answer that. I suspect I already know the answer and I'd prefer not to hear it." He cleared his throat. "Two – my sister is pregnant with Heero Yuy's baby."

"And I'm pregnant with /your/ baby," Noin said, twirling one long lock of his blond hair around her finger. Milliardo made a strange noise deep in his throat, and Noin winked at her sister-in-law. "And your point is?"

"We're married." Milliardo pulled away. "And we're somewhat older than Relena."

"I'm not a child any more," Relena snorted. "Heero and I have survived a war; I think we're mature enough to know our own minds about getting married." Relena gave her dress one last tug. Although Catherine and Hilde had reassured her that the empire waistline would hide a multitude of sins when they'd helped her choose it, she could still see the telltale bulge of a five month pregnancy. She'd enjoyed the girls' day out, despite the stories Catherine had told about her three-month-old twins. Her baby would be well behaved, Relena had decided. And strong willed like his father. The girls had then envisioned a tiny baby engaging in a glaring match with Heero and giggled. 

"I just want to be sure you know what you're doing." Milliardo sighed. He gave her a hug after Noin nudged him. "You're my baby sister; surely I'm allowed to play the protective big brother?" 

"No." Relena returned the hug. "I appreciate the thought, Mill, but I feel as though I'm being smothered. You have to trust my judgement." It was bad enough that Heero constantly hovered, or sent one of his friends to hover if he wasn't able to be there himself. The person behind the shuttle hijacking still hadn't been found, and Heero wanted to ensure that he or she wouldn't get a chance to try again. 

"I trust /you/," Milliardo said, and then cleared his throat. "I have something for you…umm…" He picked up the box he'd placed on the side table when he'd arrived and opened it. In it was an exquisite diamond tiara. It was elegant yet didn't overstate. Relena reached out to touch it, her breath catching. 

"Mill, it's beautiful."

"Our mother wore this on her wedding day." A touch of sadness flickered in his eyes. The loss of their parents, and of the Sanq kingdom, had affected him very deeply. "I thought that you…that you'd like to wear it on /your/ wedding day." He placed it on her head, over the circlet of her veil, and nodded. "Perfect." 

"It /is/ perfect, thank you." Relena examined herself again in the mirror and then gave him another hug. "Thank you. This means a lot to me." 

"You look lovely, Relena." Quatre's comment surprised her; she hadn't heard he and Trowa enter the room. "Sorry, we're late," he continued. "Triton threw up over Uncle Trowa."

Trowa had his suit jacket slung over one arm, and his hair was still damp. Relena eyed the jacket suspiciously. The light blue grey would show up any water stains and it was too late to get them out now. 

"I hadn't got as far as getting changed yet, but the only way to get rid of the smell was to take a shower." Trowa gave a mock shudder. "I didn't realise just how far vomit can travel."

"Is Triton okay?" Noin asked. "I think Catherine is wonderful the way she handles those twins."

"He's fine," Quatre nodded. "Just drank his bottle too fast. Justin cleaned him up while Cathy finished feeding Megan. They're just taking their seats now." He grinned. "I saw Heero outside too. He looks…nervous."

"Maybe he's having second thoughts," Milliardo suggested helpfully. "It's not too late for either of you to change your mind, you know."   
  
"Has he been like this the whole time?" Quatre asked, rolling his eyes. 

"If Yuy wasn't marrying you, he'd be dead by now," Milliardo muttered under his breath. 

"Zechs!" exclaimed Noin. "Real men are supposed to be sensitive to their sister's needs, and support their decisions, especially on her wedding day."

"But Noin," Trowa told her, "I thought you knew…All /real/ men are gay and taken." 

Milliardo snorted the water he'd been sipping out through his nose. 

"Are you okay?" Quatre asked innocently. 

Attempting to hold back a giggle, Relena exchanged a glance with Noin…and began laughing. "Thank you," she said to Trowa, as she wiped her eyes. "I needed that."

"My pleasure," said Trowa. Quatre smirked and whispered something in his ear and Trowa blushed. They were a lot more relaxed, both in private and in public since the press conference three months ago. Hiding their relationship from everyone but their close friends and family had been taking more of a toll on them than they had been prepared to admit. 

"You guys decent in there?" Duo popped his head around the door before waiting for an answer. "Wow," he said, catching sight of Relena. "You look gorgeous, babe; Heero's one lucky man. I almost wish I swung that way, but he'd kick my ass." 

"So would Wufei," Relena reminded him. Duo looked very handsome in his dark suit; the colour brought out the blue of his eyes. "You two are going to be the only unmarried ones after this," she teased. 

"Yeah," said Duo. "Hey Cat. Tro. All ready to do the bridesmaid thing?" Several people had commented on Relena's choice to have them in her wedding party instead of traditional bridesmaids, but it was her wedding and she wanted to share it with her closest friends. Those people had also commented on her decision to wear white. 

"Attendants, Duo. Not Bridesmaids." Quatre glared at him. He finished fastening Trowa's bow tie, took a step back, and gave his husband a nod of approval. Relena agreed with him. The forest green they'd chosen complimented the suits, and brought out the colour of Trowa's eyes. The dark navy Milliardo was wearing separated him from the ex Gundam pilots, and was also very striking with his fair complexion and long blond hair. It wasn't everyday a girl was escorted down the aisle by three good-looking men – and into the waiting arms of another. 

"I thought you, as the best man, would be up on the correct terminology," Trowa arched an eyebrow. 

"Oh I am," Duo grinned. "I'm also up on the traditions side of things too." He reached into his pocket. "Even if you already have one of these, one more won't hurt." Duo grinned and twirled something around on the end of his finger. "There ya go. A blue garter belt." He winked. "You can wear it and remember me."

Trowa stared. "You're not going to tell me that you just happened to have one on hand, I hope."

"Hell, no! Fei and I aren't /that/ kinky." Duo blushed. "Well umm…we went shopping."

"Shopping?" Relena wasn't sure she wanted to know. The thought of Duo dragging Wufei into a bridal shop to buy a garter belt…"Thank you," she said finally, trying to keep a straight face. "That's very thoughtful of you." Relena took the garter from him, and paused. "Turn around," she said. "I'm sure Heero would love to know that you tried to get a good view of what's underneath my wedding dress."

"I'm gay," Duo said. "And so are Tro and Cat. Pull your dress up, we don't mind."

"Duo!" Quatre chastised. Duo grinned and the three of them turned their backs. 

"That means you too, Mill," Relena told him. 

"But I'm keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't peek," Milliardo said. 

"Turn around. Now." Noin rolled her eyes. "They don't get any better with age or marriage," she told Relena. 

"I had a feeling that was the case," Relena gave a mock sigh as she lowered her dress again. "You can look now…gentlemen."

"Trowa and I have something for you too, Relena." Quatre smiled. "You're supposed to have something new, something old, something borrowed and something blue, so we thought we'd give you something new." He pulled a small oblong box from his pocket and presented it to her. Inside was a single diamond pendent attached to a delicate gold chain. "May I?" Quatre asked, moving behind her. She nodded, and allowed him to fasten it around her neck. 

"Thank you," Relena said. "That was very sweet of you."

"It was our pleasure," Quatre replied. 

Duo glanced at his watch. "Time to get this show on the road, boys and girls. Heero's getting antsy and I'm not sure how long Wufei is going to be able to keep him nice and calm."

"She'll be out in a moment, Duo." Noin kissed Relena on the cheek. "This is your day, Relena. Make sure you enjoy it." She glanced at Milliardo. "If he gives you anymore trouble you have my permission to hit him over the head with your bouquet. Those roses have thorns remember, and they'll hurt like hell." 

"I'll see you to your seat, Mrs Merquise," Duo held out his arm to Noin, "and leave your husband to the tender care of the big bad Gundam pilots." Stepping forward to meet her half way, he stopped to give Relena a kiss. "Go knock 'em dead, Rel."

Relena turned at the touch on her shoulder. "Shall we go, little sister?" Milliardo asked. "And Duo's right. You look absolutely stunning. Heero Yuy is a very lucky man."

"Thank you," Relena said, blushing. She placed her hand on his arm, and together they left the room, and crossed the corridor into what had once been the ballroom of the old house. Once they reached the entrance, Milliardo stopped and waited for Trowa and Quatre.

"Zechs is right," Quatre whispered, kissing her forehead after they caught up. "Heero's a very lucky man." 

Trowa smiled. "Very lucky." The musicians began playing the opening trills of the Trumpet Voluntary. "I think that's our cue," he said. 

Moving into position behind them, Relena watched her friends begin walking slowly down the aisle. Her dress was floor length, of simple design yet elegant, but didn't have a train. Allowing her friends to go first made more sense than her leading and them following. They'd blazed the trail during the war; they could do the same for her and Heero now. 

"Are you sure about this?" Milliardo whispered. 

Relena looked down the aisle, and at Heero waiting for her. He glanced up, and as their eyes met, he smiled. This was her future, their future. She was part of his family, and now he would be part of hers. 

"Yes," she said firmly, taking a step forward. "I'm sure." 

==================

~Fin~

==================


End file.
